A Certain Complex Feeling
by RuskaSky
Summary: Accelerator had always known that devoting himself to protecting Last Order would stir up his life. But he wouldn't have even guessed that one day, the girl would ask him questions about kisses and love, and suddenly, he finds himself confronted with complex, uncharted feelings inside of him. [Accelerator x Last Order; No Lolicon; What-if; Rated T for Accel's swearing]
1. Rainy Thoughts

**A Certain Complex Feeling**

Chapter 1 ~ Rainy Thoughts

* * *

It was a gloomy day in Academy City; a place said to be the most technically advanced on earth and supposedly ahead of the rest of the world by twenty to thirty years. The night sky was cloudy and dark, raindrops fell heavy unto the empty streets, splashing into puddles, and obstructing the view for the passing drivers still out.  
Not many people wandered around; they had curled up in blankets, a warm cup of coffee or chocolate between their hands and used the dulled sound of rain against the windows to relax and reminisce, barely aware of the cold and the wind outside their comfortable homes.  
Some people were not as lucky, and much to his dismay, Accelerator was one of them. The teenage boy cursed silently as heaven's tears drenched his white hair, drizzled down his neck and soaked his shirt.

If it wasn't for that severe brain damage he received some time ago, he would've easily used his _Deflection_ to block the rain from touching him. But his computing abilities were gone, along with his speech and mobility, thanks to a bullet in his head. Without the electrode choker around his neck, directly attached to his brain, he would not even be able to stand up on his own. Now, he had to rely on a crutch and a battery that could only hold up for forty eight hours in its normal mode.

"Tch." _And only fifteen minutes in esper mode_, he thought to himself, looking at his left hand with an angry expression. Fifteen minutes for the usage of half the power he used to wield – both ridiculous and degrading. He had never realized just how convenient his power was. The only times he had truly appreciated it, was in his numerous battles, slaughtering his enemies in the most sadistic and brutal way.

"It's raining! Misaka says as Misaka looks up at the night sky."

The voice pulled Accelerator out of his thoughts, causing him to lift his head. In front of him, a young girl was dancing in the rain. She only wore a white coat over her light blue, dotted dress and the white socks in her sandals were already drenched. It was Last Order.

"Sheesh," Accelerator walked up to her. "Stop moving around so much."  
"Misaka wanted to see the moon though, Misaka says as Misaka acts a little dejected while trying to dance," the girl said, ignoring Accelerator's comment as she ran around him.

"Hey!" Abruptly, Accelerator grabbed her collar and turned Last Order towards him. "I told you not to scurry around so much, you little brat."

Despite his harsh words, Last Order smiled widely at him. "Misaka should be fine without such intensive care, Misaka says as Misaka asks for freedom and liberty."

"Stop that democracy crap. Besides, I'm not caring at all," the boy added with a raised eyebrow.

"You're pulling that again?" Last Order asked, slightly squishing her eyes in amusement. "You don't have to be so embarrassed, Misaka says as Misaka acts aloof with her index fin-! Why are you making such a tight fist? Misaka asks as Misaka smiles in an attempt to calm your rage," Last Order anxiously stopped herself when Accelerator growled in annoyance.

The white-haired teenager stared at her for a second with his red eyes before he let out a surrendering sigh and turned his head, causing the girl to raise her hands to the sky once more, singing: "'Rain, rain, fall, fall, fall, rain fall! Misaka says as Misaka yells out to the night sky!"

Slowly, Accelerator lifted his head, staring up to the clouded stars. His thoughts wandered around aimlessly until he suddenly recalled the words from Yomikawa Aiho, his current guardian.

"_Is showing goodwill towards others really that scary? You seem to have accepted Last Order's goodwill, though you're afraid to reciprocate her. Are you scared of screwing up and being unable to fix it?"_

"Ow!"

Accelerator jerked his head to see Last Order sitting on the ground, blood on her knees.

"I fell, Misaka says as Misaka reports her status from the ground," Last Order looked up to him with wide eyes.

"Sheesh, I can already see that," he condescendingly replied.

"I might need some disinfectant, Misaka says as Misaka becomes a little teary-eyed."

For a moment, Accelerator looked at her with something like sincere worry in his eyes – until it was masked again by clenching his teeth and snorting, "How about you spit on it?"  
He walked past Last Order and ignored her attempted repetition by ordering, "Come on, we're going back to Yomikawa's."

"Okay..., Misaka says as Misaka tries to deal with it." Last Order got up slowly, her eyes fixated to the ground. She held on to the green goggles on her head and placed them over her eyes as she mumbled, "It's painful, but Misaka will bear it, Misaka says as Misaka trots after you."  
She carefully followed Accelerator in silence, cautiously placing one foot after the other, being easy on her bruised knees.

For a while, the boy led her down the streets with dark eyes until all of a sudden, he stopped. He laboriously turned around with his crutch and walked towards Last Order. She noticed him only in the last moment, when Accelerator flicked his finger against her goggles.

"Wah!" Last Order called out as she stumbled back. Angrily, she lifted her goggles and glared at Accelerator, about to demand the reason for his action when she suddenly noticed the bench beneath her.

"Sit there," Accelerator said, avoiding her eyes as he turned away from her. "If you move even an inch, I'll smash you into little bits."

"This shitty brat," Accelerator mumbled to himself as he picked up a package of band aids at a pharmacy nearby. He frowned while looking at it, seemingly insecure, before he tossed it into the shopping cart.

_This seriously isn't my style_, he thought as he went to the checkout, paying for the band aids and the disinfectant.

Accelerator made his way back through the rain, to the bench he left Last Order at. The young girl was dangling her legs off the bench, humming a happy melody until she heard his footsteps. "Accelerator! Misaka calls as Misaka waves her arms," she jumped off the bench to run towards him, but a sharp pain in her knees made her twitch and stop, stumbling back to the bench.  
"Tch," Accelerator grunted as he walked up to her. "I told you not to move an inch, didn't I? Stupid." He knelled down in front of her, grabbing the disinfectant.  
"You did, but Misaka was so happy to see you've come back, Misaka answers as Misaka tries to explain her behavior."  
Accelerator made an inaudible sound at her comment and sprayed on the disinfectant.

"Ow! Misaka screams as Misaka tries to show she's in great pain!" The young girl complained loudly, curling up her toes as the stinging alcohol hit her. Unmoved, Accelerator pressed the band aids onto her knees, then he got up, turning his head away from her. "Let's go back already."  
"Alright! Misaka says as Misaka jumps off the bench to join Accelerator on his way home."

The two made their way back to Yomikawa Aiho's apartment, the place they both called home since a couple of days. Despite the wounds on her knees, Last Order jumped around, switching from one leg to the other as she continued to hum the melody from before.

"Seriously," Accelerator said to himself with annoyance while the girl swirled by, "Why did I even bother?"

"Did you say something? Misaka asks as Misaka turns around to see his face," Last Order ceased her jumping curiously.

"Nothing," Accelerator sighed with closed eyes. "Let's get going."

* * *

The apartment was in the center of Academy City. It was a tall, glazed building as futuristic as most of Academy City's architecture, overlooking countless bus stops, shops and smaller apartments. While being quite modern, the apartment had its own backyard as well as a square court in its middle with benches underneath cherry trees, rendering it into a comfortable place to live at.

Barely thinking, Accelerator stepped into the elevator and pressed the _7_, the number to their floor. Last Order stood beside him, still humming and swung her arms from one side to the other.  
"Misaka wonders what we're going to eat tonight, Misaka says as Misaka tilts her head." Last Order shot a glance towards Accelerator, hoping to get an answer to her indirect question. The boy abruptly jerked his head away from her, letting out a grumble of exasperation while he felt the vibrations of the mechanics lifting them up.  
The elevator came to a stop and they both entered a long corridor, connecting the individual apartments. Together, they walked up to door _74_. To the left from the entrance was a security door system and Accelerator reached out to enter the code.

"Meat, meat, Misaka would like some meat, Misaka sings as Misaka dances," Last Order sang to herself while Accelerator unlocked the door. Once she heard the faint _click_, she squeezed by Accelerator and zipped into their home, arms wide open.  
"Misaka and Accelerator are home! Misaka calls as Misaka enters the living room!"

Accelerator walked past Last Order and let himself fall on the couch. He grabbed the remote for the television and switched through channels, searching for a program worth his while. In the meantime, Last Order went through the apartment, repeatedly calling for Aiho and Yoshikawa Kikyou, a friend of Aiho's who had been in the apartment when they had left that morning.

"Isn't anybody here? Misaka asks loudly as Misaka realizes the house is empty."

With a disappointed expression, Last Order came back to Accelerator, giving him a long look.

"Misaka is hungry! Misaka exclaims as Misaka attempts to get Accelerator's attention," she said with emphasis after a few seconds of intense silence. The teenager grumbled as he turned his head towards her. "Didn't that guy who found you at the mall feed you already?" He asked annoyed as he sat up, heading towards the kitchen.

"He did, but Misaka is still hungry! Misaka explains as Misaka gets up to follow," Last Order nodded as she jumped off the couch. Then, a light from the city grabbed the little girl's attention and instead of actually following, she turned towards the big windows and examined the city lights with big eyes, sparkling of excitement and curiosity.

In the kitchen, Accelerator opened the fridge to see two wrapped plates waiting for them, along with a note from Aiho.

_'Kikyou and I got called in for work. We'll be away for a while. Make sure Last Order gets enough to eat – this is for today._

_P.S. Don't get into trouble.'_

"What a pain," the white-haired teenager sighed to himself as he took the aluminum foil off the plate. He placed their dishes in the microwave and leaned against a cupboard, brushing through his grown hair with closed eyes. For a few moments, he could enjoy a silence almost as complete as the silence he used to surround himself with before he met Last Order. Nothing but the buzzing of the microwave and the faint chatter from the television got to his ears and Accelerator allowed himself to ease up a little.

"What will we eat? Misaka asks as Misaka jumps into the kitchen." Last Order swirled around the corner, stopping in front of Accelerator who ignored her question with a deep breath. Suddenly, the microwave started to beep repeatedly and the teenager reached for their meals.  
"Ooh, this looks like beefsteak! Misaka says as Misaka joyfully looks at her platter!" Last Order squealed in delight as she sat at the table. "Itadakimasu! Misaka says as Misaka digs in."

They ate their meals in their own manner: Last Order constantly blabbering and praising the dish, while Accelerator was barely listening, sluggishly poking around the food. He rarely ate, and it was only because of Aiho actually going through the trouble of preparing food for him that he bothered to. Never would he admit that to her, though.

Accelerator kept to himself when it came to any positive or socially accepted feelings. May it be his troublesome past or the fact that he had already killed almost ten thousands of the Sisters – clones of a certain Misaka Mikoto, a level five esper like him – Accelerator could only portrait feelings such as sarcasm, condescension or evil with security. That was what he felt, at least.

But his guardians Aiho and Kikyou as well as the little Last Order were convinced that he had good inside, and they continued to believe in him, despite his harsh and hurtful words and actions. And deep down, Accelerator felt grateful for that. That being something he could hardly admit towards himself, he never showed that feeling to others, of course.

"Accelerator! Misaka calls out loudly as Misaka realizes Accelerator hasn't been listening!" Last Order pulled him out of his bemusement, leaning over the table as she stared at him with that childish form of anger. Slowly, Accelerator turned his head towards her.

"Huh?" He made with dull eyes, his tone somewhat aggravated, causing Last Order to pull at a strand of his hair as she said: "Misaka said '_Thanks for the meal_' Misaka says as Misaka repeats herself!"  
"Ow- let go of me, stupid kid!" Accelerator spat angrily and jerked back to get rid of Last Order's grasp. This caused Last Order to lose her balance and she fell head first into Accelerator's barely touched meal.

"Ew! Misaka screams as Misaka tries to wipe off the mashed potatoes!" The young girl helplessly complained as she searched for a tissue. Accelerator got up with an annoyed expression, ready to leave the scene, but Last Order grabbed his sleeve, smearing mashed potatoes and sauce all over it.

"You cannot go! Misaka says as Misaka demands Accelerator to make up for his mistake!"  
"_My _mistake!? Listen you, if you hadn't clung to me, you wouldn't be in such a mess!" Accelerator snarled angrily, trying to loosen Last Order's grip while at the same time struggling to keep his own balance, his left arm searching for his crutch.

"But Misaka needs your help! Misaka says as Misaka insists on Accelerator's aid," Last Order whined, still tugging at his sleeve.

Accelerator stared at her in disbelief and yanked his arm back. He won his freedom as Last Order's slippery fingers slid off his sleeve, but his victory didn't last long when he fell on the floor from the sway.

"Accelerator! Misaka calls out as Misaka rushes to help!" Last Order ran up to Accelerator in an attempt to help him up. Moving too fast, she knocked over Accelerator's plate, which unloaded its contents onto both him and Last Order.

"No, stop, don't touch me with those ha- argh!" Accelerator loudly protested when he was covered in the rest of his meal. Suddenly, the girl let go off him and he heard Last Order giggle.

At first, it was only a small, hidden chuckle, but it soon burst into laughter and Last Order held her stomach, snickering: "Misaka's belly hurts from laughing this much! Misaka says as Misaka feels a big joy!"

Accelerator stared at her, unable to grasp the situation. He was covered in sauce, mashed potatoes and slices of meat, sitting on the floor, all dignity lost and Last Order was laughing from the bottom of her heart. The young girl had let loose and was lying on the floor, pounding on it with her hands. Accelerator snarled aggressively and crawled towards her, leaving his crutch behind. Sitting behind her, he placed his hands at her cheeks and started to pull outwards, but Last Order was used to this type of playful physical punishment and she swung her hands, full of food, up and splashed them against Accelerator's face, causing the white-haired teenager to let go off her with a curse.

"So much fun! Misaka says as Misaka stops laughing," Last Order smiled widely at him once her laughter had ceased. Accelerator still wore an utterly confused expression and for a moment he felt the urge to smash something, but as his eyes met Last Order's, seeing her joyful expression, his rage calmed and he sighed exhausted.

"I'll take a shower. Clean up the mess, kid", he grumbled as he took his crutch and made his way to the bathroom.

"Yes, yes, Misaka says as Misaka gets up," he heard Last Order replying just before he closed the door.

_Good grief_, Accelerator thought to himself as he stood under the shower. Warm water washed away the dirt and food from his body and helped his muscles to relax while he was in his thoughts.

Not so long ago, he had killed people for lesser reasons. How did that child dare to laugh at him? The esper sighed distressed. He truly had changed, ever since meeting Last Order. No, already before that – he started changing when he met that Touma-guy. Accelerator felt anger building up inside him as he thought about the self-proclaimed hero and his blabbering about justice and worthiness of life. The teenager put his hand into a fist for a moment, letting it shake before he released and calmed his thoughts.

_Whatever._

* * *

When Accelerator came back into the living room, the towel still wrapped around his neck, Last Order was sitting on the couch, watching a movie. As she heard him enter, she enthusiastically turned her head towards him, giving him a big, jolly smile.  
"Welcome back, Accelerator!' Misaka says as Misaka smiles to show she's happy."  
"I wasn't gone for long," the white-haired teenager murmured as he sat down on another sofa. He rested his crutch beside him before he laid down himself, his eyes only half open with the arms crossed behind his head.

Still, Last Order continued to smile, even when she turned her head and attention back to the television. It seemed to be a love comedy of some sort, and Accelerator hated those kind of movies. He tried to block its noise, but without his _Deflection_, it was not as easy, and soon, the teenager grumbled in reserve. Accelerator grabbed his cane and got up, his movements followed by Last Order's eyes.

"Where are you going? Misaka asks as Misaka slants her head in confusion."

"Sleep," Accelerator briefly answered, but his walking was interrupted by Last Order loudly whining,"Eeeeh!? Misaka says as Misaka is disappointed. Misaka wanted to stay up longer to watch the movie, Misaka adds as Misaka attempts to clarify the situation."  
"So what?" Accelerator grumbled, his head only halfway turned.

"Can Misaka stay up to the end of this film? Misaka asks as Misaka sniffs her chance," Last Order asked with a more hopeful voice, bending over the couch with big eyes.

"Like I care," the white-haired teenager spat as he closed the door behind him, leaving to his bedroom.

"Yaaaay! Misaka says as Misaka rejoices!" Last Order swung her arms up in excitement before she turned her head back to the television, just in time to see the climax of the movie.  
The young girl's eyes were captured by the scene where a man intensively kissed a woman after he confessed his undying love to her.  
"What... are they doing? Misaka wonders as Misaka feels a strange curiosity from her heart."


	2. The Scent of Home

**A Certain Complex Feeling**

Chapter 2 ~ The Scent of Home

* * *

"Why would a man put his mouth on a woman's? Misaka asks as Misaka splashes with the water."  
"Huh!?"

Last Order and Accelerator were in the bathroom, finishing their morning routine. The latter was still in a bad mood. Although he had made his way to the bathroom right after he woke up – at a time where most of Academy City was still sleeping – Last Order had heard his footsteps and awaited him at the door. This was followed by a big struggle as Accelerator tried to go into the bathroom alone, but the little one refused to let go of him. Finally, Last Order had managed to get a hold of Accelerator's crutch and with this decreased mobility, it was even more of a fight to enter the room without having her following him.

As he cursed at her in the most violent way, Last Order made use of her superior ability: A simple command, and Accelerator's choker no longer received speaking support from the Misaka Network, rendering it nearly useless. The teenager tried forcing her into giving his abilities back by pulling at her cheeks, but swiftly, Last Order made her escape and swirled into the bathroom, stating that if he wanted his speaking abilities back, he had no other choice but to share the bathroom with her.

Thus it was no surprise that Accelerator was still fretful, and Last Order's constant blabbering did its part as well.  
"Misaka has seen this in the movie from yesterday, Misaka adds as Misaka tries to explain where her curiosity comes from," Last Order elaborated, her eyes still glued to Accelerator who turned his head away from her as he dried his hair with a towel.  
"That's nothing a brat like you should worry about," he grunted aggressively. Just a second later, he was soaked in a splash of water; Last Order had swung a full bucket at him and grinned while Accelerator cursed.  
"How inconvenient it must be not being able to use _Deflection _anymore, Misaka says as Misaka acts as if she pities Accelerator, though she actually enjoys being able to score off him."

"You little brat!" Accelerator shouted at her as he got up with a fist. "I'll break you, I swear!" He made a step towards her, but the tiled floor was slippery from the water and Accelerator lost his balance, only able to break his fall by clinging on to the sink.

Last Order laughed wholeheartedly as Accelerator stared at her with murderous eyes.

"Last Order..." he growled, but eventually, he sighed and grabbed a fresh towel to dry himself once more.

"So, why do people do that? Misaka asks as Misaka wonders."  
"Shut up, you're annoying," Accelerator grumbled, but Last Order stuck to her guts as she repetitively poked Accelerator all over.  
"Hey, hey, what does that mean? Misaka asks as Misaka is annoyed that Accelerator won't answer her question," she said accusingly, but Accelerator shook her off and left the bathroom.  
"I said shut your mouth, troublesome kid," he grunted as he opened the fridge in search for some black coffee.  
"Damn." It was near to empty and not even a single coffee can was left. It was promising to be an unpleasant day indeed.

"Why won't you tell me? Misaka asks as Misaka puts her hands on her hips in an attempt to appear more serious," Last Order came up to him. When her eyes brushed over the fridge to see it was empty, her stomach started to growl as if on command.

"Accelerator~? Misaka says as Misaka holds her hands to her stomach," she started with a more sweet and innocent voice. Accelerator gave her an annoyed look, though behind his glare, he almost seemed amused. "Let me guess – you're hungry?"  
"Uh-huh, Misaka says as Misaka nods."  
"Tch. What a pain."

* * *

"Woooooah, Misaka says as Misaka sees the sign of the family restaurant and enthusiastically waves her arms to draw Accelerator's attention to it!" Last Order called out.

Turning his head, Accelerator was met by the sight of a cozy and bright family restaurant, full of hustle despite the early hour. With a sigh, he turned towards it, ignoring Last Order's repeated screams of happiness.

"Hey, Last Order!" A voice from behind shouted. Said person turned her head, only to be met by her fourteen year old self: Misaka Mikoto, the ace of the Tokiwadai Middle School - a level 5 esper also known as Railgun.

"Onee-sama! Misaka says as Misaka is surprised to see Onee-sama here," Last Order replied with wide eyes before a big smile spread on her face.

In a sense, Mikoto really _was _her sister. She was the one whose DNA was used to clone the _Misaka Sisters_, a batch of twenty thousand clones designed solely for one purpose: To help Accelerator surpass level 5 and turning him into the legendary level 6, though helping him meant nothing else than letting themselves being killed by him.  
While he at first was reluctant to take part in the operation, called the _Level 6 Shift Project_, Accelerator convinced himself over time that the Sisters weren't actual people. And even then, he tried to scare them out of their set up battles with revilement and a sadistic attitude.

But the Sisters could not understand what he was aiming at – he probably didn't realize it himself either. Only when Last Order told him what she had observed and concluded from these tries of communication before the battles, did he become conscious of it. It was needless to say that he didn't admit it towards Last Order or anyone else.

But his suppressed feelings of remorse welled up again as he met Kamijou Touma, a level 0 esper on the night of yet another fight.

Touma protected Misaka 10032, the subject of that day, as an individual and broke Accelerator's illusion of them not being people.

When Touma managed to defeat Accelerator in battle, an event quite unlikely to happen, Accelerator's status as the most skilled and strongest esper was gone. As a consequence, all the calculations the _Level 6 Shift Project _wasbased on were rendered useless and the experiment was annulled. Up to that point, Accelerator had already killed 9969 of Mikoto's clones.

Thus, it was of no surprise that Mikoto had little sympathy for Accelerator, and her eyes only faintly brushed over his presence before she turned back to Last Order.

"Well, what are you doing here, Last Order?" she asked with a friendly smile as she squatted low to be on eye level with the girl. Her mini skirt, part of her school uniform, flipped up, but Mikoto didn't need to worry, as she always wore shorts underneath it.

"Misaka and Accelerator are going to eat out for breakfast, Misaka explains as Misaka points to the restaurant behind her," Last Order said. Then, her face lit up in sudden realization and she made a jump forward, saying, "Does Onee-sama want to join us? Misaka asks as Misaka's eyes sparkle in excitement and hope for a positive answer."

"Ah, well..." Mikoto started reluctantly, but as she met Last Order's hopeful eyes, she just couldn't turn her down. "Sure, why not," the Railgunnodded and got up, her smile deepening as Last Order swung her arms in the air and ran around in circles, repeatedly shouting "Yay!"

Accelerator made a quiet sound of disapproval and Mikoto shot a glare towards him. She still hadn't forgiven him for what he did to the Sisters, but just the same, she could not ignore the things he did on another note. Like saving Last Order, even though it almost cost his life. Or the destruction of the _Remnant_, a part of the destroyed _Tree Diagram _which could have supported a continuation of the _Level 6 Shift Project_.

Having a rather frequent contact to Last Order, Mikoto could not live with the belief of Accelerator being completely evil, regardless of how much she wanted to. Still, it was hard on her, facing the boy who was responsible for thousands of deaths and suffering. The girl abruptly turned away from him and took Last Order's hand, heading towards the family restaurant, slowly followed by Accelerator.

The inside of the establishment was held in warm colors. Ceiling lamps emitted a pleasant light and hidden air conditioners catered for fresh air. Cushioned seats were neatly aligned around wooden tables and waitresses in maid costumes were serving the customers in a friendly manner.

With a loud voice, Last Order ordered a load of pancakes which seemed too much for a person her size. Mikoto went for a milkshake and Accelerator ordered a black coffee. After an intense glare from Last Order, he reluctantly asked for a bagel as well, not in the mood for another fight.

With her mandatory 'Itadakimasu', Last Order tucked in with pleasure, shoving almost an entire pancake into her mouth. Maple syrup dropped down her chin and with a rather abrupt gesture, Accelerator handed her a tissue to wipe it off.

Mikoto's eyes followed the scene with skepticism and she squished them in surprise to see Accelerator actually caring for Last Order in his own way. Even though he often averted his eyes, even though his gestures were rough and even though his words were harsh, there was always a certain kind of consideration or care behind them, directed towards Last Order.

Suddenly, Accelerator caught Mikoto's regard and his posture turned hostile.

"What are you staring at?" He spat, narrowing his eyes.  
"N-nothing," Mikoto jumped in surprise, pulled out of her observation, but Accelerator grinned unexpectedly.

"Were you staring at his?" he asked and held his hand to the choker around his neck. "Yeah, I'm dependent on this stupid thing, but don't get any ideas – you still have nothing on me."  
"Wha-"  
"Were you hoping you could become number one, now that I am constrained? Sorry to disappoint you, but none of you shitty bastards will ever be able to surpass me!"

Angrily, Mikoto got up, electricity sparking around her head – she wasn't named Railgun for no reason.  
"Are you looking for a fight, albino?" she threatened but Accelerator's grin suddenly vanished and he turned his head away in indifference.  
"With someone as weak like you? It'd be a waste of my time," he said, looking at his coffee with no interest. Deep down in a place he wasn't familiar with, he simply did not wish to fight any Misaka anymore.

"Why you!" Mikoto spat hotly, pressing her hands on the table when suddenly, she felt a touch on her arm.

She looked to the side to see Last Order with a worried expression.  
"Please, no fighting here, Onee-sama, Misaka says as Misaka shakes her head to underline her statement."

Mikoto looked at her younger self in surprise before she sat down again, pouting: "I wasn't really..."

Concerned, Last Order turned her head to Accelerator, as if she feared he might still be upset. For a moment, her chestnut eyes were locked to his blood red ones, until the teenager averted them abruptly, taking a halfhearted bite from his bagel to wash her worries away.  
Last Order smiled widely at the sight of Accelerator eating and she enthusiastically went back to finishing the remaining pancakes.  
Awkward silence hung among Mikoto and Accelerator; neither of them wanted to upset Last Order further, but there was no option for friendly words between them either.

Accelerator did not really care about Mikoto – his "family" of three, with Aiho and Last Order, was already enough social contact for him, if not even too much. But Last Order really liked Mikoto, so he more or less had to learn how to cope with her, sooner or later.

In Accelerator's case, however, coping with someone meant nothing more than holding himself back from smashing them into bits.  
Mikoto, on the other side, was a lot more social and sensitive. Though she did not portrait the typical lady-image that was expected from a student of the Tokiwadai Middle School, she was caring and kind and she felt the urge to support Last Order.

While having a strong feeling of responsibility towards any of the Sisters, she was especially fond of Last Order. Maybe due to her childish body and personality or the fact that she was able to actually display her emotions (all other Sisters never showed their feelings and could only use the third person to express what they felt), Mikoto had grown to feel attached to her.

In that moment, Mikoto felt obliged to start a conversation with Accelerator, as a sign towards Last Order that she wanted to try hard. But what could she possibly talk about?  
Just as she was wondering about that, Last Order finished her meal and laid back with a satisfied sigh.

"Thanks for the meal, Misaka says as Misaka feels full to the brim," she mumbled happily. All of a sudden, with her stomach now full, she remembered the question she held within the entire day. Knowing Accelerator would find a way to elude an answer once again, she faced Mikoto.

"Why would a man put his mouth on a woman's? Misaka asks as Misaka uses the same words she already used to express her question."  
Mikoto turned completely red at the unexpected question, stuttering with an embarrassed smile, "Wha-, er, where, I mean, why would you ask, Last Order?"

"Accelerator wouldn't explain it to Misaka, Misaka adds as Misaka points accusingly with her index finger towards Accelerator."  
Mikoto jerked her head to Accelerator and stared at him, her mind coming up with the only proper explanation it could find. Suddenly, Mikoto's face darkened as she glared at the white-haired teenager and she loudly smacked her hands on the table.  
"What type of sick pervert are you?!" she spat out in bewilderment, her hands shaking. "K-k-kissing an innocent girl like that, what are you...!" Electricity sparked from her body and came at Accelerator. Quickly, he turned on the switch of his choker and the shock wave was deflected, jumping all over the place, causing the explosion of nearby ceiling lamps.

The other people in the restaurant screamed and jumped at the sudden noise, staring at the two esper in fear.  
With cold eyes, Accelerator turned his gaze towards the sparking Mikoto. He didn't want to fight her. Actually, he never wanted to fight anyone to begin with. Still, he kept his hand at his choker, ready to activate _Deflection _again if necessary.

Unexpectedly, as if nothing had happened, Last Order went on, "Misaka has been wondering about it ever since she saw that movie yesterday, Misaka elaborates on the topic as Misaka remembers."  
"Huh?!" Mikoto huffed in surprise and gawked at the child version of herself. When the meaning of Last Order's words dawned to her, her face turned deep red again.  
The next few minutes were spent with Mikoto talking to the staff apologetically. Some of them shot wary glances towards Accelerator who was quietly eating, but Mikoto was quick to take the full blame; when it came down to it, it was her shock that went crazy.  
After settling everything and returning to her seat with an abashed face, Mikoto let out a sigh.

She avoided both Accelerator's and Last Order's eyes and was about to mumble an apology to them when Last Order repeated her question once more: "Hey, Onee-sama, do you not know it either? Misaka asks as Misaka starts to feel it is a mystery."

"Erm, well, the people in that movie k-k-kissed," Mikoto replied quietly with her head down.

"Oooooh, Misaka says as Misaka starts to understand. Why do people kiss, Onee-sama? Misaka asks as Misaka feels she starts to get on to the topic." Last Order leaned forward, curiosity beaming in her eyes.  
"Erm, well, I... Sometimes, grown-ups do that stuff to..." Mikoto started, not sure where to begin, let alone where to end, as she looked at her interlocked fingers.  
"Have you ever kissed someone, Onee-sama? Misaka asks as Misaka understands that Onee-sama is a grown-up."  
"Eh?!" Mikoto jumped back, her face glowing red. "I... I... H-hey, have you heard about that new amusement park? Isn't its opening today? C-come on, let's go check it out!" She suddenly changed the topic. For a second, she feared Last Order would hold on to her question, but at the sound of the word 'amusement park', her face had lit up and she nodded quicker than the eyes could follow.

"Yes, yes! Misaka says as Misaka realizes that there are Ferris wheels and roller coasters at an amusement park! Let's go, Accelerator! Misaka demands as Misaka pulls at his sleeve to drag him along."  
"Are you fucking kidding me, like I would – hey, will you stop pulling!? Fine, fine, we go, but let go of me!" Accelerator complained as he stared at Last Order with annoyed eyes. The young girl squealed in delight and together, they followed Mikoto to the amusement park.

* * *

The amusement park was only a few minutes away by bus. Even from afar, they could hear the joyful screams of people taking rides and the scent of popcorn and cotton candy greeted them as they turned around a last corner.

"Wow! Misaka says as Misaka reclines her head to see the Ferris wheel's top but it's too high!" Last Order marveled.  
Indeed, as it was fitting for such an advanced city, the amusement parks were top-notch as well. Supported by modern technology, roller coasters were built as high as never before and could take turns against the laws of physics. Little stalls served all kinds of sweet and hearty dishes, while other booths praised their quick games and they could hear the hollow voice of the master of the lottery trying to lure in customers by claiming, "Each ticket is a win!"

"Misaka wants to ride this, and this, and that, and this! Misaka says as Misaka points to everything!"  
"Fine, fine!" Mikoto replied with a laugh, happy to see the joy on Last Order's face. She took the young girl's hand and gave her a big smile. "Let's go, Last Order!"

But Last Order took a look back to Accelerator who leaned against a wall, not showing any signs of excitement or joy.  
"Don't you want to come with us? Misaka asks as Misaka leans forward with worry in her eyes."  
Accelerator jerked his head away. "Tch. I told you I'm not into such childish stuff."

Disappointed, Last Order let her head hang down. "Misaka figured as much, Misaka says as Misaka admits. But Misaka had still hoped you would try and give it a go, Misaka says as Misaka refuses to let go of hope."

Suddenly, Mikoto squeezed in and gave Last Order an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "It can't be helped," she said with a grin. "Someone's gotta hold on to my bag anyway." And with that, she shoved her bag into Accelerator's arms. She gave him another grin and winked. "Hold on to this for us, 'kay? I'll go have some fun with Last Order!"  
Accelerator opened his mouth to reply, but the two girls, looking so alike, turned away and ran towards the first attraction, squealing before even getting in.  
The teenager sighed to himself as he looked at Mikoto's bag. For a moment, he played with the thought of tossing it into the garbage, but then he imagined Last Order's reaction. She might easily pester him about his 'unfriendly behavior' for the rest of the day, and his resilience for that day had almost been used up by that kiss-question.

_A kiss, huh? _Accelerator stared towards the roller coaster Last Order was sitting in. Even from afar, he could point out her voice above anyone else's. She was screaming at the top of her lungs and he could picture her waving with her arms even though Mikoto would tell her to keep them inside the wagon.

Suddenly, the thought of the roller coaster malfunctioning and crashing down occurred to him and a surge of cold rolled over him, followed by heat. He felt an unusual feeling inside his stomach and, closing his eyes, he tried to figure out what it was.

Was it... worry?

"Tch." How unlike him. Then again, it was linked to Last Order and when it came to her, everything about him was unnatural. But he didn't hate it, not really.

_Damn. What's wrong with me lately? _He thought as he tightened his fist. _Here I am, at an amusement park, thinking about that brat and kisses. For fuck's sake, am I coddling!?_

Accelerator took a deep breath to calm his thoughts.

"_Is showing goodwill to others really that scary?"  
It is. It fucking is, Yomikawa._

"Accelerator! Misaka calls as Misaka runs up to him," Last Order's voice rang in his ears.

Startled, Accelerator jerked his head up to see Last Order and Mikoto running towards him, both with red cheeks from excitement.  
"It was awesome! Misaka exclaims as Misaka tries to express her feelings by gesturing wildly," Last Order blabbered and Accelerator watched her with softness in his eyes. He listened to her happy voice and felt warmth rising inside him, the hint of a smile appearing on his face.

Suddenly, Last Order ceased her vivid explanation of the feelings she had and peered at Accelerator with surprise.

The teenager twitched at the changed look on her face, his own expression turning more aggressive and less caring.  
"What are you staring at?"

"You had a strange look on your face, Misaka says as Misaka feels surprised," the young girl answered, her hands behind her back.

"You looked really nice and caring just now, Misaka elaborates as Misaka-"  
"I am not caring!" Accelerator spat hotly. He glared down at Last Order who hunched over in surprise, though she was used to his irregular outbreaks.

"Stop your crappy talking, you annoying brat! I'm sick of you calling me 'nice' or 'kind' – I'm the fucking strongest esper in Academy City because I kill anyone who stands in my way!" Accelerator stared at her, his red eyes full of anger. Then, he got aware of Last Order's puzzled, almost scared look on her face and his rage disappeared into thin air. He let out an annoyed sigh before he shoved Mikoto's bag back into its owner's arms and turned away.  
"I'm tired of this shit, I'm leaving," he grumbled and limped away.

Last Order followed his movement with big eyes and Mikoto made an angry noise before she turned to the girl with a reassuring smile.  
"Well, what a shame, Accelerator is going to miss out all the fun we're going to have," she pat Last Order before she took her hand.  
"You wanted to ride on the Ferris wheel, right?"  
"Yes! Misaka says as Misaka gets excited."

* * *

Accelerator was strolling through Academy City. His feet and his arm with which he held the crutch were already hurting, but the anger inside him kept him going.  
He had lost his cool. Towards the only person in this world he had sworn to protect.  
The teenager clenched his teeth so that no degrading sound could leave his lips. Remorse was a feeling he tried to bury inside him, since he knew well that his past actions couldn't be atoned for by a mere apology. He also knew that there were no actions either he could take to really make up for what he did, so why should he bother trying to?

But it was different with Last Order. At the sight of her forgiving smile and her positive eyes he felt even worse. And the worse he felt, the less was he able to show what he really felt and to do what he actually should be doing: Admitting, apologizing. Instead, he would become aggressive, insulting and condescending.

And all that only because Last Order was about to discover that side of his which he couldn't accept. Would it have been so bad to let her see through him this once?

The teenager let out an annoyed sigh and leaned against a wall nearby. He wasn't used to the feelings inside of him and tried to ignore them by examining the place around him properly.  
Apparently, he was not too far away from home; he could make out some of the building in proximity to their apartment, even though it was already dark.  
_It's late. She's probably already home, _he slowly thought. Then, the flashing sign of a convenience store nearby caught his attention. He vaguely remembered the fridge being completely empty and pushed himself off the wall.  
Although he wasn't in the mood to go shopping, he knew he had to. Last Order was probably hungry by now, even if she had lunch with Mikoto.

_If it's already dark... How long was I limping around?_

He started to feel uneasy and a tension began building up inside him while he bought the necessities. Had he been right about assuming she was back home already? What if Mikoto didn't bring her home? She might have gotten lost in the city.

A bad feeling came over him and unconsciously he sped up, almost hurrying back to the apartment. He wished for the elevator to rise quicker and when he pushed open the door to the apartment, his feelings proved to be right: It was empty.

For a moment, he stood at the entrance in complete silence. Was it so late that she already went to bed? It was an unlikely thought and he didn't even need to knock on her door to prove it wrong.

After he unloaded the purchase in the kitchen, he let himself fall on the couch. Not too far away, he could see Last Order's phone – he really had to give her a lecture of actually carrying it, one day.

His fingers felt numb as he reached for his phone and dialed a number he never thought he would use.  
Looking back, the day when Last Order gave him Mikoto's number hadn't been such a waste after all.

He pressed the cell against his ear as he waited for her to pick up. Seconds passed and just as he was about to hang up, Mikoto answered.

"Hello, hello, Misaka Mikoto here?"

"... Is Last Order with you?" His own voice sounded pathetic, unnaturally rough and quiet. It was just a small kid, damn it.

"Accelerator?" The surprise in Mikoto's voice was evident. She hesitated for a moment, probably thinking on how Accelerator got her number until a higher pitched voice spoke to her, causing her to make a sound as if she smiled.

"Yes, it's him," she replied to whomever talked to her. Then, as if she just remembered, she turned back to the phone, saying: "Yes, Last Order is with me. We're at a local bath."  
"A local bath?" Accelerator echoed as he felt the tension in his chest disappearing.

_So she didn't get lost in the city after all._

"Are you jealous?" Mikoto teased in an attempt to ease the mood.  
"Huh!?" Accelerator glared at his cell as Mikoto chuckled.

"Like hell!" He snapped before he turned off the phone. He continued to stare at it for a few more seconds until he threw it on the table next to him. With a grunt, he crossed his arms behind his neck and laid back, his thoughts turning back to Last Order.

She was safe, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

"Misaka is home! Misaka says as Misaka enters," Last Order stormed in the living room, a wide smile on her face. She wore a candy necklace, a gift from Mikoto, which had already been nibbled off to a great part. Last Order was still chewing on one of the candies as she walked in, waving her arms around joyfully.

Suddenly, she was caught by the sight of Accelerator still lying on the couch, fast asleep. The TV was on, and some comedy was currently airing, though its sound was so low that it didn't seem as if Accelerator had actually watched whatever had been aired before.

Last Order quietly snuck up on the sleeping Accelerator and bent over him. His sleeping face was completely different from when he was awake: It was at peace, soft and gentle.

With a smile, Last Order remembered the first time she saw Accelerator sleeping. Back on the first day they had met, he allowed her to sleep at his place. It had been broken into, completely devastated, but she had been desperate for company and Accelerator had eventually given in. The next morning, she had bent over him just like she did now, curiously examining his sleeping face.

Last Order really liked watching him sleep. In his sleep, all the worries and the anger were washed away, turning his face into the mirror of his true soul. She knew, even though he tried to hide it, that he did care about her and that he was good. Often, she felt sorry for him; she had learned from Aiho about his troublesome past, but she was smart enough not to mention it.  
An expression appeared on Last Order's face that didn't seem to fit a ten year old.

Being connected to the Misaka Network, she had experienced every single death of the Sisters and while her body wasn't meant to grow any further, her mind had matured due to all this information. She wasn't like an ordinary ten year old, despite acting like one all the time. While being a child at heart, there was an adult side of her as well, though it had some boundaries and limits.

She understood the pain Accelerator felt, and she knew about the motif behind his wish to become a level 6: All Accelerator ever wanted was that people would stop fighting him because of his enormous powers. But he only saw one way to make that happen: Turning the thought of challenging him into a ridiculous one, that fighting him would be a sin.

And because Last Order knew that, she was able to see through his aggressive behavior and recognize the lonely soul that was hiding behind it. She wanted to make him happy and she knew that, even though he acted annoyed, he secretly enjoyed her fooling around and being childish.

Last Order was grateful for the childish mind and body she was given because she could use it as a way to make Accelerator happy. Sometimes, the mature part of her was sad at the fact that she would never be able to become an adult, fated to live and to die in this childish body once her time had come, but as long as Accelerator would show her that hint of amusement, it was worth it.

With a big smile, Last Order held her hand to her chest as she watched Accelerator.  
"Misaka really likes you, Misaka says as Misaka feels happy to be with you," Last Order quietly said, even though he couldn't hear her.

A warmth grew inside her as she remembered how he had called Mikoto just an hour ago. He must have been really worried if he went so far, and while she couldn't imagine what might have caused his outburst from before, she knew it was the closest he would get to showing his regret.

With a sudden idea, she grabbed a blanket from her bedroom and squeezed herself onto the couch beside Accelerator.  
The teenager grunted in his sleep as Last Order put her arm around him, and she buried her head at his chest, inhaling his scent which gave her comfort and the feeling of home before she fell asleep in a matter of seconds.


	3. The white tiger

**A Certain Complex Feeling**

Chapter 3 ~ The white tiger

* * *

"Aww, don't they make a cute couple, Kikyou?"  
Accelerator awoke with a start, eyes wide open in surprise. He felt something laying heavy on his chest and looked down just in time to see Last Order sliding down the couch. Without thinking, he tried to grab her, but he wasn't fast enough and Last Order fell on the floor and hit her head.  
She opened her eyes in tears as she held the bump and looked up to Accelerator.

"W-why did you do that? Misaka asks as Misaka feels hurt."  
"Don't give me that!" The teenager snapped in bewilderment, finally remembering his proper attitude and pointed at her. "Why were _you_ sleeping on my chest, brat!?"  
The little girl looked away and pouted. "Accelerator looked kind of sweet last night, so Misaka wanted to be close to him, Misaka says as Misaka averts her eyes from Accelerator's evil look."

"You what!?" Accelerator growled, his hand building a fist. His anger was interrupted by Aiho wholeheartedly laughing and he jerked his head to send his sparking eyes towards her.

"My, my, what a hustle so early in the day!" The Anti-Skill Member said with a grin.

"Yomikawa!" Accelerator grunted and glared at the tall woman. She was as casual as usual, wearing a green jersey with her blue hair tied into a carefree ponytail. Aiho gave Accelerator another grin before she made way for Kikyou to enter.

"Hello Accelerator, Last Order," she nodded towards the two with a slight smile before she sat down on a chair, crossing her legs.

"Yoshikawa," Accelerator acknowledged her appearance with a faint nod before he turned his head back to Last Order. She, however, had already crawled out of his reach and was tugging at Aiho's sleeve with a questioning face.  
"What did you mean by saying _'They make a cute couple'_? Misaka asks as Misaka tilts her head in confusion."

"Well, you looked quite lovey-dovey there."  
"_'Lovey-dovey'_? Misaka echoes as Misaka fails to understand," Last Order said puzzled and Kikyou chuckled.

"Well, Aiho, don't go that far; it's not like they kissed."  
"But they hugged!" Aiho was quick to point out, just before Last Order swirled back to her with wide eyes.

"Are lovey-dovey and kissing linked to each other? Misaka asks as Misaka feels she is close to finally resolving the mystery."

A faint frown appeared on Aiho's face. "What do you mean by mystery, Last Order?"  
"Misaka wants to know why a man puts – why a man kisses a woman! Misaka explains as Misaka uses the new term. Accelerator didn't want to tell Misaka and Onee-sama couldn't explain it, so Misaka keeps wondering, Misaka says as Misaka lists the people unable to help her."  
"Why a man... would kiss a woman?" Suddenly, both Aiho and Kikyou turned their heads to Accelerator, giving him an intense look.  
The white-haired teenager stared back for a second before he sighed annoyed.

"She watched a movie, god damn it," he grunted as he got up with his crutch.

"Seriously, you're just as stupid as that third rate Railgun."

"Ah, so that's how it is," Aiho nodded to herself before she squatted on Last Order's eye level.

"So you want to know why people kiss, Last Order? Well, that's quite simple: People kiss when they love each other and want to show that feeling to the person they love."  
"When they love each other? Misaka repeats as Misaka understands," Last Order mumbled with big eyes.

"You know what love is, right?" Aiho asked. Kikyou, as the former researcher working on the _Level 6 Shift Project,_ replied in Last Order's stead, "She does. Every Sister knows about such feelings. However, as for Last Order..."

But she didn't get to explain what was different with Last Order because the young girl suddenly jumped up with a smile.  
"Misaka knows what love is! Misaka says as Misaka remembers. Love is when you feel warm and nice inside when you see another person! Misaka says as Misaka explains."

She was startled for a split second. The wide smile of her realization spread on her face before she turned to Accelerator and said, "Misaka loves you, Accelerator! Misaka wants to kiss you to show you, Misaka says as Misaka feels love inside her."

She ran towards him with wide arms, but Accelerator made a quick step to the side, causing Last Order to run into empty space. The girl caught herself in the last moment, swaying from one side to the other before she turned towards Accelerator, who ignored her presence.  
"Won't you kiss Misaka? Misaka asks as Misaka wonders why Accelerator avoided her," Last Order asked in confusion.

The teenager did not even look at her as he grabbed a coffee can and took a deep chug.  
"Will you kiss Misaka? Misaka asks as Misaka starts to feel uneasy," Last Order asked and she walked up to Accelerator, her posture slightly hunched.  
"Yeah, right," Accelerator said sarcastically and squeezed by the little girl to sit on the couch. He turned his head to the TV, not seeing the sad look on Last Order's face.

Unnaturally quiet, the girl walked up to him once again.  
"Don't you love Misaka? Misaka asks as Misaka feels dejected."  
For a second, Accelerator was startled. But before he took the time to think about his next words, before he considered what his answer might do to her, he spat in denial, "Like hell!"

Aggressively, he turned even further away from her, trying to focus on the show he had turned on. Still, he heard the faint sobbing behind him. A wave of cold rushed over him as Last Order broke into tears, but before he could turn to her or even consider turning back to her, the girl stormed out of the apartment with a loud cry.  
Kikyou got up quickly and followed Last Order while calling her name, but Aiho stayed, turning her eyes to Accelerator who still sat on the couch.

"Are you happy now, Accelerator?" She asked coldly, though with a faint sigh of disappointment. "Would it have been so hard to admit what you really feel?"  
Accelerator still hadn't moved an inch; he even held the can in an unnatural way without showing a sign of shifting his uncomfortable position.

Aiho let out a distressed sigh before she walked up to the teenager.  
"Listen, Accelerator, I know how you like acting all uncaring and lofty but I always thought you'd know how to act in front of Last Order – you did up to now. Surely you know how good she has been to you ever since? Don't you think she, above anyone else, would deserve better from you? Hey, I'm talking to you!" She called out loudly as Accelerator still remained motionless.

Very slowly, he turned his head to her and Aiho almost let out a relieved sigh, expecting his sparking eyes, his condescending tone. But as he fully turned to her, she was shocked to see that his eyes were almost empty. Just for a second did he let her see how troubled, how confused he felt inside.

But then, he got up, closing his honest eyes.  
"Tch. Shut up, you're annoying." He walked by her, not showing any sign of emotion in his voice.

"I'm not done talking to you, Accelerator!" Aiho commanded once she got a hold of herself, but the teenager did not even flinch at her raised voice and opened the door to his room.  
"Where do you think you're going? You cannot run away from these feel-"  
"I'm going to sleep!" He interrupted her angrily, turning his head back to send her an evil glare, but it was only half as intense as it would usually be.

"Sleep?" Aiho huffed. "You just slept!"

Accelerator jerked his head away from her, grunting, "I slept horrible." Then, he slammed the door shut, just in time for Aiho not to see the complete confusion that broke its way through on his face.  
_Love?_ He echoed in his mind as he put his hand on his forehead.

_Yeah right; as if _I _could ever be loved._

He let himself fall on his bed and stared at the ceiling. The image of a crying Last Order rose in his mind and he started to feel sick. With a grunt, he tried to brush away both the feeling and the image, but it didn't work. He grabbed the blanket beneath him tightly, until his fingernails poked through the fabric into his skin, but Last Order wouldn't get off his mind.  
Accelerator tried to fight the feeling inside him, but then, he gave up, a sad expression on his face and he allowed himself to at least think what he truly felt, as disgusting as it was.

_How am I supposed to know what love is, Last Order?_

* * *

The day passed by Accelerator as he stayed in his room in complete rigidity. After a few hours, he had managed to bury the nagging feeling Last Order's final question had brought up. He had locked it away, next to his feelings of remorse and his fears. Still, despite having it blocked from his mind, sluggishness had come over him, as if the eradication of emotions had a price to pay.

This way, the entire day had passed until he managed to work up the determination to get up and eat something. The grumbling of his stomach had passed and made way for the typical empty and sick feeling that's left by a completely empty and hungry stomach.

At least he'd like to make himself think that the sickness came from hunger.

He ignored Aiho, who was sitting in the living room, reading a newspaper, and made his way to the fridge. Some leftovers from lunch were still wrapped up, so he popped them in the microwave and waited for them to heat up.  
He realized how the entire apartment was sparkling clean; apparently, Aiho had been really mad at him because whenever she was upset, she would go on a cleaning spree.

_I hope she didn't lose her keys again_, the teenager thought to himself. This was very likely to happen, as Aiho would clean so recklessly that she even lost things.  
Accelerator ate his meal right at the kitchen counter, not in the mood to even sit down. He faintly heard the apartment's door open, but ignored it until a voice said, "Kikyou and Misaka are home! Misaka announces as Misaka comes back."

"Welcome home!" Aiho greeted them. "Where have you been?"  
"At the Zoo! Misaka says as Misaka starts to feel excited again."

"That sounds interesting," Aiho said as she got up. "Are you hungry? I wrapped up some leftovers from lunch, if you like."  
"Misaka would really like to eat, Misaka says as Misaka holds her stomach," Last Order said with a smile, causing Kikyou to slightly nudge her.

"Again? Last Order, we just ate something at the Zoo!" She lectured her playfully and Last Order laughed.

"We did, but Misaka is still hungry, Misaka laughs as Misaka acts a little embarrassed."

With a smiling face, Aiho entered the kitchen. She paused her walking for a short moment when she saw Accelerator, but after her cleaning spree – and after witnessing how Accelerator kept to himself the entire day – she wasn't upset anymore and simply squeezed by to take out the second wrapped up plate. Quietly, she stood beside Accelerator as she waited for the meal to be done.

"How about you eat with her?" She suddenly said, causing Accelerator to lift his head in surprise. Aiho gave him an encouraging smile.

"I'm sure she'd be happy about it."  
The teenager jerked his head away, but since he didn't explicitly say 'no', Aiho called out to Last Order, "Hey, Last Order, would you like to eat with Accelerator? He's here in the kitchen!"

Just a heartbeat later, both of them could hear Last Order's hasty footsteps and in a matter of seconds the little girl stood before them with a smile.

"Misaka would really like to eat with Accelerator, Misaka says as Misaka sits at the table to show she's ready for dinner."

Accelerator grunted and sat down as well, poking around his platter.  
"You mustn't do that! Misaka scolds as Misaka wants Accelerator to watch his manners."  
The white-haired teenager gave her a sharp look before he laid back on the chair, putting his fork down.

Last Order's attention was distracted by her own meal which she happily ate, all while Accelerator left the rest of his plate untouched, staring out of the window which was opened to the pitch black night.

"Where are you looking? Misaka asks as Misaka follows Accelerator's gaze to see nothing."  
"Nowhere," he replied annoyed and took another sip of coffee.  
"You remind Misaka of the white tiger at the Zoo, Misaka says as Misaka points with her fork at Accelerator."  
"Sheesh." He grabbed her fork and put it down. "Don't point at other people with your cutlery – weren't you just talking about manners?"

"Hmph! Misaka pouts as Misaka pretends she didn't hear it. Don't you want to know more about the white tiger at the Zoo? Misaka asks as Misaka urges to tell Accelerator."  
The teenager sighed, a 'not really' sitting on his lips already. Then, he met Last Order's eyes and with another sigh, he asked, "What of it?"

"Misaka and Kikyou were at the Zoo today, Misaka says as Misaka starts her story."

"You said that already-"

"And at that Zoo, there were a lot of exotic animals, Misaka goes on as Misaka acts as if she didn't hear Accelerator interrupting her."

"..."

"Misaka wanted to touch every animal there, but Kikyou wouldn't allow it, Misaka adds as Misaka attempts to show her disappointment."  
"You don't say..."

"And then, Misaka saw a white tiger, Misaka says as Misaka gets to the point." Last Order made a dramatic pause, staring intensely at Accelerator who stared back just as strong.

Finally, with a more than annoyed sigh, the teenager supported his head with his hand and asked: "And?"

"And that white tiger reminded Misaka of you, Misaka says as Misaka repeats her thesis from the beginning."  
For a moment, Accelerator stared at her, waiting for her to continue. He saw in her eyes that she wanted him to ask questions, but he didn't feel like talking at all so he just continued to glare.

"Don't you want to know why that white tiger reminded Misaka of you? Misaka asks as Misaka wonders why Accelerator won't ask her."  
Now, the teenager made a fist, barely holding back his annoyance and anger. He growled before he managed to ask in a not-as-aggressive manner, "And _why _did that white tiger remind you of me?"

"Because that white tiger was a very mean, but very lonely animal, Misaka says as Misaka is happy she gets to say it."  
"Huh!?"

"The white tiger was all alone in that pen, which means it must have been very lonely, Misaka says as Misaka presents her hypothesis. Misaka had asked the caretaker why this white tiger was alone because all the other white tigers were together in one pen. Then, the caretaker explained to Misaka that this one white tiger was really anti-social and that it lacked the ability to get along with other animals.

But he also said that when they put him in a pen all by himself, it would start to letting out cries and roars after a while because it felt lonely. But when brought back to the other tigers, it would start attacking them if they got too close.

And this is how the white tiger reminded Misaka of Accelerator, Misaka says as Misaka ends her comparison."

Silence hung among the room. Accelerator could hear the muffled sound of Aiho's barely held-back laugh and even Kikyou had raised the corners of her lips. The teenager furrowed his eyebrows in disturbance and made a tight fist with his left hand.

"Last Order..!" His growl was deep and angry and his red eyes seemed to be on fire as he stared at the young girl.

"What kind of fucking comparison is that!?"  
"Misaka found it to be quite accurate, Misaka says as Misaka withstands Accelerator's regard," Last Order calmly replied with seriousness in her eyes. Then, the girl lowered her head, looking with a somewhat saddened expression at her meal.

"Since today's morning, Misaka has been wondering about Accelerator's behavior, Misaka mumbles as Misaka admits her thoughts from this day. Misaka was worried because you said you wouldn't love her. Worried and really, really sad, Misaka adds as Misaka tries to display her emotions from this morning."

Suddenly, Last Order looked up with sincere eyes.  
"But then, Misaka saw that white tiger and Misaka understood that Accelerator, just like it, is simply unable to admit that he loves Misaka, and when Misaka realized that, she was really relieved-!"

She stopped herself as Accelerator smacked his hands on the table. His expression was rigid from anger and hidden embarrassment, but he lifted his head nonetheless to glare at her with evil eyes.

"For the last time: I don't love you!" He grunted with a trembling voice. He saw how tears built up in Last Order's eyes, but he couldn't hold himself back from hurting her. With another grunt, he pushed himself off the table and grabbed his crutch to leave to his room, but a hand on his shoulder held him back.  
Kikyou looked at him seriously.

"Can I have a word with you?"  
Accelerator shook off her hand, but he left his door open just a bit to signalize her that he was fine with talking to her.  
Kikyou carefully entered Accelerator's room and sat down on a simple wooden chair while the teenager himself laid on his bed.

"Accelerator..." Kikyou started slowly. Not because she was unsure what to say, but because it was her usual way of speaking.  
"Why do you resent your feelings towards Last Order so much?"

"Tch. Do I look like the typical loverboy to you, Yoshikawa?" He growled and turned his head away. "It's got nothing to do with 'resenting'. I don't love her."  
"Are you saying this because you're afraid of hurting her?"  
The teenager was startled, but he shook off this feeling by giving Kikyou a condescending look.

"Hey, Yoshikawa," he started with a lofty voice that could just hide the honesty behind his question. "Do you _really _want me to do such stuff with a child? Not that I would, anyways, but is that really what you and Yomikawa are aiming for?"

Kikyou looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"_Such _stuff? Last Order is a child and always will be. Neither Aiho nor I would even think about you two getting intimate. Don't you understand that Last Order loves you in a platonic, sister-like way?"  
"I know nothing of that love. Neither do I know anything about other types of love," the teenager muttered, almost with regret.

Kikyou sighed to herself. "Well, maybe you wouldn't, given who you are and what you did. But can't you at least admit that you treat her in a special way?"  
"I don't really..."

The researcher gave him an intense look before she got up.

"Fine. Do it your way. But don't forget what you owe to her – to all of the Misaka's out there. Is some honesty too much to ask for?"  
And with that, she left the room, not knowing that just a few seconds before, some small feet had ran away from the door after eavesdropping on things she wasn't supposed to hear.

* * *

The rest of the evening passed by in awkward silence. Accelerator stayed in his room, despite having spent the entire day in it already, while Aiho and Kikyou tried to entertain Last Order.

The young girl usually recovered fast from Accelerator's outbreaks and harsh treatment, but that evening was different and the smile she wore resembled the fake one of a grown up knowing she has to pretend at least.

Finally, when night fell, Last Order managed to escape the forced cheerful atmosphere and pressed her head into her pillow, tears building up in her eyes once again.

"What is this hurt feeling? Misaka wonders as Misaka talks to herself because no one would understand."

Only by coincidence did her gaze brush over the framed picture on her bedside table. It was a picture from Mikoto and her, from the amusement park they went to. Mikoto had wrapped her arm around Last Order's shoulders and made a peace sign into the camera, grinning widely, while Last Order stuck her tongue out with eyes squished in happiness.  
Last Order took the picture in her hands and looked at her older self.

"This is what Misaka would look like if Misaka could grow, Misaka mumbles as Misaka envies Onee-sama," the young girl said to herself with sad eyes. She carefully put the picture back on the small table and rolled over to lie on her back.

Some time ago, with the help of Aiho, she had glued stars which glow in the dark to the ceiling. They were arranged as a smiley face and usually, looking at them put Last Order in an even better mood next to her natural cheerfulness.

But that night, her childish treasure would not move her. Instead, she reached out with her hand for the stars, imagining what it would be like to have a bigger hand, the hand of a teenager and not of a child.

"Misaka... Does not want this anymore! Misaka says as Misaka gets angry about the unchangeable fate!"

Suddenly, her eyes opened wide in realization. With sway, she swung herself up and put her feet in her pink slippers.  
As quietly as she could, she snuck out of her room. Kikyou wasn't there anymore, but Aiho was a light sleeper, in contrast to Accelerator who slept like a stone, and if either of them caught her while sneaking out, she would have to do a lot of explaining.

But neither of them woke up when Last Order put on her coat, opened the front door and escaped into the dark night.

* * *

When Accelerator woke up, he had a bad feeling. Even before he opened his eyes did he know it was going to be a bad day. It was not unusual for him to wake up and not looking forward to the day, but this time was different and he rose up quickly, his eyes trying to find a reason for his worry.  
But his room looked like it always did, bathed in the bright morning light.

With a grunt, the teenager pushed himself out of the bed and opened the door to the hallway.  
_Maybe it's just my imagination_, he thought as he took a shower and with every drop of water, his worry was buried a bit deeper until it was nothing more than a hollow feeling at the back of his stomach.

But as he left the bathroom, his hair still partly wet, it hit him.  
Last Order was not there.  
Ever since they lived together, Last Order had never missed the chance to share the bathroom with him in the morning. It was odd and annoying behavior, but it was something Accelerator could count on happening, just as much as he could count on his need for coffee.

He walked up to Last Order's room and violently knocked at her door.

"Last Order!?" He called, unaware of the concern seeping through his voice.

There was no answer, so he grabbed the door handle and pushed, entering the room he had never entered before.

Just for a split second was he distracted from his worry when he met the atmosphere of Last Order's room: Pink and light blue were the dominant colors, almost like a princess' castle in the sky. Stuffed animals were sitting all over the place and unfinished puzzles and other games lay around.

Paintings of animals adorned the walls, some of which done by Aiho, but most by Last Order herself. Balloons were glued to cupboards and the door, giving the room an even more childish and festive atmosphere.

Accelerator wore a disgusted expression, but as his eyes saw the empty, ruffled bed, he turned serious again. Once more did he call out her name and finally, he heard hasty footsteps behind him.

"What's the matter?" Aiho asked, still in her nightie, and due to her training with Anti-Skill, she only showed a hint of anxiety in her voice.  
Accelerator stared at her, the relief vanishing as quickly as it had come.

He did not even try to hide his anger as he grunted, "She's gone."

"Gone?" Aiho sounded surprised, but then she nodded calmly.

"Alright. I will try to track her down like we did the last time. Wait for me just for a minute, I'll throw something on."

The teenager nodded briefly and took the chance to get changed himself.  
The two of them met in the living room. Aiho had already set up her laptop and entered a password for one of the many programs she used.

"Don't make that face," she said towards Accelerator with a reassuring grin while she executed the few clicks necessary to locate Last Order's position. "It's not like she can't be – what!?"

"What is it!?" Accelerator bent forward to look over Aiho's shoulder, just to see the error message on her laptop.

"It says the signal is nowhere to be found!" Aiho gasped in surprise. "How can this be? Kikyou gave me everything necessary to keep an eye on Last Order. She's with the Misaka Network, so finding her should be possible as long as a single Misaka is still standing."  
Accelerator growled angrily, furrowing his brows while trying to keep control over himself.

"Well, looks like Yoshikawa forgot something. Call her and –"

But he was interrupted as Aiho held up a note from Kikyou.  
"It laid on the table this morning. Looks like she is off to some special work and can't be contacted for the day."  
"Shit," Accelerator cursed as he skimmed through Kikyou's note.

"It can't be helped," Aiho said as she took her phone. "I will try and get in contact with the Misaka's in town. One of them has to be able to find her." She looked up with a fierce expression.

"Don't just stand there, Accelerator! You should try your luck as well. Call Mikoto, I'm sure she's willing to help searching around town."  
Accelerator nodded before he left the apartment as fast as he could with his crutch.

* * *

Only a few minutes later was he waiting for Mikoto, right at the family restaurant they'd been at two days ago.

The teenager had leaned against a wall in rigidity, though his legs felt like running. He wore an impatient expression and jerked his head when he finally heard her footsteps.

"I came as fast as I could," Mikoto said while breathing heavily, supporting herself on her knees for a second.  
"What is the matter?"

"Last Order is gone." He spoke the words as if they meant nothing to him.

While waiting for Mikoto, he had realized that his expression and voice had been giving away too much the past twenty-four hours and he was determined to change it.

Mikoto, however, would not even think about hiding her emotions.  
"She is what!?" The Railgun grouched with an angry expression. "How could you lose her!?"

Accelerator turned his head away. "Tch."

"Don't give me that!" Mikoto spat hotly and jabbed her index finger against Accelerator's chest.

Reflexively, he turned on esper mode and Mikoto's hand was thrust back.

"Ow!" The girl complained, looking at her hand in pain before she send sparking eyes towards the albino.

"Is that the right attitude towards someone skipping school to help you!?"

"Like I care," Accelerator muttered, but the way he said it came off defensive, and Mikoto could see that losing Last Order got to his nerves.

The Tokiwadai Student sighed and put the hands on her hips.

"Fine, fine. So, tell me, where did she get lost?"

"Where?" Accelerator echoed and Mikoto tilted her head.

"Yes, where! I mean, did you lose her at a mall, at a restaurant?"'

"She ran away tonight," Accelerator said and somehow, he managed to make it sound like it was Mikoto's fault.

"She _ran_ away? Oh great, what did you do to her?"

Accelerator glared at her, but while his red eyes may have silenced even armies, Mikoto refused to back down.

"Did you hurt her feelings again? I offered for her to stay at my place so many times, but she always says she wants to be with you," Mikoto said, more to herself, startling Accelerator.  
"I don't know where this trust and love for you is coming from, but I hope that you actually do something that deserves it!" Now, she looked at him with honest and serious eyes and even Accelerator could not withstand her gaze for too long.

Finally, he turned away completely and pulled out his cell. Ignoring Mikoto, he dialed Aiho's number.

"Yomikawa? That third rate Railgun has arrived. … Yes, you can call her now."

"Third rate? Listen, you..." Mikoto started when suddenly, her cell rang.  
"Mikoto? Aiho here," the voice of the Anti-Skill Member spoke to her.

Mikoto looked up to see that Accelerator still pressed the cell against his ear and just a second later, Aiho confirmed her assumption as she said, "This is a conference call. I will stay in contact with you and Accelerator while you're searching the city."

Mikoto nodded, although Aiho couldn't see it, and said, "I got it. Do we know why Last Order ran away?"  
She stared towards Accelerator who now stood firm against her glare.

Aiho hesitated for a second before she said, "Accelerator and Last Order were having a small fight. But we can't say for sure why she left, since she ran away during the night, not directly after their argument."

"Could it be an abduction?"

"With high certainty, no. There were no signs of someone forcefully entering. Besides, both her coat and her shoes are gone."

"Alright. What's our plan?"

"Onee-sama!"  
Both Mikoto and Accelerator jerked their heads to the voice.

But the one calling Mikoto 'Onee-sama' wasn't Last Order. It was Shirai Kuroko, the roommate of Mikoto who showed an unnatural affection towards the Railgun. She stood on a streetlamp, several feet above them with security and confidence.

"Onee-sama!" She called out once more before she suddenly appeared directly above Mikoto, spreading out her arms to hug her. Her ability was _Teleport_, and being a level 4, she had yet to find a teleporter better than herself.

"Waaaah, Kuroko!" Mikoto called out in unpleasant surprise. "Let go of me, now's not the time!" Quickly, she released a shock wave to her underclassmen, but Kuroko was used to them by now – she always touched Mikoto in inappropriate ways and received an electric shock every single time.

"My, my, Onee-sama, you are skipping school to – meet with a man!? Oh, Onee-sama, another rival has appeared for me!" Kuroko sorrowed when suddenly, she became aware of Mikoto's serious expression.

"What is wrong, Onee-sama?"

"A friend got lost," Mikoto briefly said. While she cared deeply about the Sisters and Last Order, she tried her best to hide it from the majority; clones were something unique, to say the least, even in a place like Academy City.

"A friend of yours? Is it something serious, Onee-sama? Would you need Judgment's help for it?"  
Just like Anti-Skill, Judgment belonged to the security system of Academy City, though their responsibilities diverted, and Kuroko was a proud member. Even though she often cursed about not having enough time for Mikoto, she knew about the responsibility she held and she performed her work with seriousness.

"A-ah, no, it's not that bad!" Mikoto declined the offer with a smile. Truthfully, she didn't want Judgment nor Anti-Skill to stick their noses into the Sisters' business.

"I see. Ah well, work is calling again, Onee-sama," Kuroko said disappointed as her cell started to vibrate. "If you ever need me, feel free to ask."  
And just as suddenly as she had appeared, Kuroko was gone again.

"Hello? Mikoto, Accelerator?" Aiho repeatedly called and Mikoto quickly raised her cell again.  
"Ah, sorry, sorry. A friend of mine interrupted. Erm, where were we?"  
"I just contacted Misaka 10032; she said that neither she nor the other Misaka's can contact Last Order, though their system seems to be still functioning."  
"Of course it does," Accelerator commented.

_If it didn't, I'd be crippling around already._

"And now?" Mikoto asked, desperation in her voice. She had secretly hoped that with the contact to the Misaka Sisters, finding Last Order would be done in a matter of minutes.

"Misaka 10032 as well as the other seven Misaka's in town have offered their help in searching for Last Order. We've got no choice but to go with the old fashioned way."

"Alright," Misaka said and nodded towards Accelerator.  
"Let's split up. We're connected through this," -She quickly waved with her phone, " - so it's more efficient if we go opposite directions. I'll go to the amusement park first."  
Accelerator nodded briefly.

He already had a certain place in mind when he turned away from Mikoto.  
The place where he had first met Last Order.

* * *

_Fuck, where is she!?_

Accelerator was in the part of Academy City which he used to call home.  
_No, not home. 'The place I used to live at' fits better. I didn't have a home until I met -_

_For fuck's sake, am I really thinking this!?_

His eyes scanned the area. He had just left his former apartment, which was now repaired, as to be expected from Anti-Skill.

_Damn._ He had been almost sure Last Order was there. Just a few minutes ago he had checked the restaurant they had eaten at together for the first time, but she hadn't been there either.

Suddenly, he heard Aiho's voice and he pressed his cell against his ear.  
"What?"

"I just said that Mikoto hasn't found her at this mall either," Aiho repeated, her voice sounding tired. "What about your end?" She asked, though she knew his answer already.

"She's not here."

Another sigh. "Where do you suggest to look next?"  
"Why do you ask me?" Accelerator grunted, causing Aiho to grumble.

"It's getting late, so I'm not in the mood for your 'I don't care' games. You know Last Order best, so is there any place she might hide at?"

Accelerator took his time to think about it. Mikoto had taken care of the public places; the malls, parks, zoos and swimming pools within the radius of twenty kilometers. He himself had gone to the more deserted, dirty and hidden places, with his former home as goal. Now, he had arrived and he did not know where else to look for her.

It was almost dark and his hopes of finding Last Order were dwindling with the last rays of sunlight.

"I... don't know," he admitted after a few seconds of intense silence.

On the other end, Aiho sighed once more.  
"Let's call it a day."  
"What!?" Accelerator spat in his cell.

"We won't find her like this, Accelerator. You and Mikoto need some rest."  
"I don't need any rest," he bragged, though his heavy breathing spoke otherwise.

"Accelerator!" Aiho's voice was serious through the tiredness. "It is pointless! We will have to wait for Kikyou to return from that special job. She's the only one left who might have an idea where Last Order is."

Accelerator became silent for a while. His thoughts revolved around Last Order and even though his muscles were sore and his clothes sweaty, he could not give up on her so easily.

"Tch. Do whatever you want. I'll keep searching."

"Accelerator!" Aiho called, but his phone was already off. The woman cursed annoyed, switching to Mikoto's phone.

"Mikoto? We call it a day."  
"Okay," Mikoto answered after some hesitation, with obvious exhaustion. "What about Accelerator?"  
"You know him," Aiho replied with a voice that displayed disapproval and admiration at the same time.  
"But don't follow his lead. We'll have to wait for Kikyou before we can efficiently search for her."

"Hm, I guess you're right," Mikoto admitted reluctantly. "Please call me once you find out something new."  
"Of course. Good night."  
"Good night."

While these two went to sleep, Accelerator was far away from a good night. For several hours, he kept searching through Academy City, trying to think of where Last Order could have ended up. He double checked the places he had been to already, searched in the underground and even went so far to ask random bus drivers whether they had seen a little girl like her. But no clue lead to Last Order's whereabouts.

Just as he was going through one of the most secluded places in Academy City, he needed to take a break.  
Accelerator leaned against a wall, catching his breath.

_Fuck, where is she!?_ He cursed in his head.

_What the hell is she thinking!?_

_Did she... leave because of the things I said yesterday?  
Or did she leave because of the things I _didn't _say?_

The teenager violently shook his head, pushing himself off the wall. He clenched his teeth in anger as he pushed himself forward, despite his exhaustion.

_Fuck these thoughts!_

* * *

Several miles away, Kikyou was working in her own laboratory. She wore a concerned and doubtful expression while her eyes scanned through a script on her laptop.  
After she had double checked the data, she let out a distressed sigh before she turned to the person next to her.

"Are you... really sure about this?"

"Misaka is, Misaka replies as Misaka nods to underline her determination. Misaka wants that person to see Misaka this way, Misaka adds as Misaka attempts to clear any confusion."

Again, Kikyou sighed before she nodded, more to herself than to Last Order.  
"Alright then. Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

Dawn was almost rising until Accelerator finally went home.  
His legs felt numb, but he didn't mind that. He hoped that his exhaustion would at least allow him to fall asleep without further worries.  
He felt a strange tightness in his throat, but he blamed it on not eating nor drinking anything during the entire day.

With weak hands, he opened the door to the apartment and limped to the kitchen, just to take at least a sip of coffee before going to sleep. The coffee ran down his throat, but while it quenched the thirst, the tightness remained. Accelerator forced some bread in as well, but he just couldn't stay up any longer. He did not even manage to get to his room, so he let himself fall on the couch, burying his head in the cushion.

As if it had been waiting for this moment of tranquility and loneliness, Last Order's image rose up.  
Accelerator tried to fight it, but weak, hungry and tired as he was, he lacked the mental strength to do so and he surrendered to think about her.

_Did she run away... because of me?_

He buried his head deeper into the small pillows on the couch, shaking it in denial until he interrupted himself.

_Who am I kidding? They were probably right_, he admitted to himself, referring to Aiho and Kikyou.

_Last Order... deserves better. For fuck's sake, she does! What did Yomikawa once say? Being indebted to somebody. Having to pay them back. Even if it hurts.  
Yes, it hurts. Because I probably can't pay back enough anyways. And because the way she would deserve to be paid back isn't my style at all._

_Last Order..._

His mind started to become cloudy and soon, he was fast asleep, breathing deeply as his body took rest from a demanding day, causing his already deep sleep to resemble a coma.

This way, he did not wake up when an unknown teenager quietly entered the apartment.

Nor did he wake up when said teenager bent over him closely.


	4. Just that close

**A Certain Complex Feeling**

Chapter 4 ~ Just that close

* * *

Accelerator awoke when something or someone pressed onto his lips.

His eyes shot open, his body became tense and his hand sprung up to his choker when he was met by the sight of someone familiar.  
It was a teenage Misaka clone, one of the Sisters, with her eyes wide open as she bent over him, pressing her lips against his. It took Accelerator a second to realize that he was being kissed.

He jerked back as he pushed away the Misaka.

"Ow! Misaka says as Misaka gets on her feet," the clone complained.  
"What the fuck are you doing!?" Accelerator spat with fierce eyes, just before he was startled by the recognition of her speaking pattern.

_Usually, they talk differently, don't they?_  
"Who are you?" He asked warily, though he already had a bad feeling as he observed the teenage girl straightening out her simple white shirt and patting her trousers.

"Geez, Misaka says as Misaka tries to fix her clothing," she said, not paying attention to the boy's rage.  
"Forget that!" Accelerator interrupted her, feeling uneasy. "I asked which Misaka are you!"

The girl looked up with big, surprised eyes.  
"Oi, can't you tell? Misaka asks as Misaka is shocked to hear that Accelerator won't recognize her," the girl pouted with her hands crossed behind her back.

Accelerator stared at her in disbelief.

_She's definitely one of those Sisters, _he thought to himself as he examined her with wide eyes, noticing the differences.

He hadn't paid much attention to it at first, but her hair was definitely longer than Mikoto's. It fell down in one long wave to her hips, except for one layer that ended shortly below her shoulders, falling over her chest. It seemed a lot straighter than the hair of the original as well, aside from the ahoge which stuck out on top of her head.

Her facial features seemed somewhat softer, too. Mikoto's face managed to reflect her tomboyish attitude with tiny characteristics, such as a slightly harsher arc on her brow bone, and all of her clones had taken over these characteristics as well, despite them not fitting their attitude. The Misaka in front of Accelerator, however, had a very soft brow and a much more feminine chin and jawline. A smile hid in the corners of her mouth, even while she was pouting.

Additionally, rendering her even more different in comparison to the other clones, she had light freckles on the bridge of her nose and the apples of her cheeks.

_But that's not the main point here, _Accelerator realized and he furrowed his brows.

_Her eyes... Didn't the others have different eyes than the original?_ He tried remembering his fights with the Sisters, but he never paid them too much attention – otherwise, his impression of them as puppets would have been broken.

_Yes, there was something odd about them_, he remembered with a faint nod, his expression still harsh and aggressive, though the confusion and doubt slowly broke through.

_The Sisters had dull, unmoved eyes, lighter than the ones of the original, but these ones... They are unusually... lively._

_There's only one clone with such eyes..._

"Last Order?" He asked with a trembling voice.

"Wooh! Misaka says as Misaka jumps to show she's happy Accelerator could recognize her after all!" Last Order rejoiced and even though she had the body of a teenager now, her gestures still remained childish.

But Last Order quickly stopped her happy jumping when Accelerator turned his hand into a fist.

"Are you shitting me?" He grunted, almost as if to himself, when he heard footsteps behind Last Order.

It was Kikyou, and he could tell from her expression that she was the one responsible for that new body.  
"Yoshikawa." It was an angry growl, but the researcher did not avert her eyes. She wore a confident expression, though Accelerator thought to see some insecurity hidden behind that attitude.

"We need to talk," he said abruptly and grabbed his cane, making his way to the door of the apartment. When he heard Last Order's almost dancing footsteps, he barked at her without turning his head, "You stay here!"

Kikyou faintly nodded towards the puzzled Last Order, before she quietly followed the white-haired teenager out of the apartment.

Accelerator did not pay attention to where he was going; he was busy feeling something inside him he couldn't name. When he thought back to Last Order, his mind was not able to erect the image of that grown up body, not while linking it to her name.

_What the fuck is going on!? _He thought as he tightened his fist even more, to the point where his fingernails poked through his skin. But the pain did not help him clear his thoughts.

_What the hell has happened? She, in that body? What was she thinking? What _is _she thinking?_

"Accelerator..." Kikyou slowly said to him after he had aimlessly led her through the city for a while. The teenager stopped immediately, his eyes finally observing the area around him.

They were at a deserted and dusty place; ruins of a former business apartment surrounded them and the sounds of the city were dulled.

"Yoshikawa." Accelerator wanted to make it sound angry and accusing, but somehow, his confusion managed to sneak passed his angry facade.

"It was her wish," Kikyou said firmly. "She came to my apartment last night and demanded a new body."  
"And you just happened to have one for her?" Accelerator sarcastically broke in, but Kikyou nodded to his surprise.

"Yes, I did. Ever since she ran away that one time, when you first met her, I have been thinking about it. You know how she was not meant to grow physically?"  
Accelerator briefly nodded.

_Yeah...One of those things I thought to know._

"I thought it to be unfair," Kikyou admitted, her gaze still directed towards the teenager.

"There was so much we put her through, despite having the body of a child. Especially the deaths of the Sisters... As a part of the Misaka Network, she experienced every one of them."  
Accelerator twitched. He didn't like being reminded of it; it wasn't something that was buried away easily, especially with Last Order around, and he didn't need to hear it over and over again as well.

"Despite looking like a child, she has seen and comprehended things which most adults would struggle to deal with," Kikyou went on as if she hadn't seen Accelerator's reaction to her previous statement.

"But as strong as she is, there are boundaries. Limits which she could not surpass in that childish body. When Aiho asked whether Last Order could love, I never finished my statement."

Kikyou made a pause as if to take a deep breath before she continued, "Just like any other child, feelings like intimate love were locked from her. It's something that she could not understand, even if we gave her a lifetime in that childish body.

I wanted to give her the opportunity to live a normal life; aging, falling in love, making friends in school and graduating with them. But altering her childish body would not only be very difficult, it would also be highly dangerous to Last Order. So I decided to create a new one.

I have been working on this mature body for her for a long time now and - "  
"Why did it have to be a teenager's body?" Accelerator interrupted her with a raised eyebrow. "You could have made a new child body as well, right?"

Kikyou nodded. "Yes, that was a possibility as well. But I figured that, given what she went through, the body of a teenager would suit her more. I also thought that she would prefer being closer to your age."

Accelerator was startled. He quickly averted his eyes and Kikyou went on, "Don't worry about her life span – she hasn't lost anything due to this transfer. It's the opposite really. It was about time to do something about her body; originally, the bodies of the Sisters were created to function for maybe a year or two."

_What!? _Accelerator jerked his head up, eyes wide in shock.

"And when did you plan on fucking telling me that!?" He cursed helplessly as he balled his hand into a fist. The thought of Last Order suddenly fainting and dying in a year occurred to him and he felt sick at the thought.

The researches waved her hands, "There was no need to. It would have only troubled you, and since both Heaven Canceller and I were working on a solution, there was no need to making you worry about her. Besides, even if I told you, you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it."

The teenager was startled and lowered his head to hide his shaking eyes from the researcher.

Kikyou took a second to examine the troubled look on Accelerator's face before she continued with her explanation.

"Well, as for her new body: Aside from the hormones now present, it's designed to age just like the bodies of the other Sisters, thanks to the help from Heaven Canceller, and we can expect her to live a normal lifetime. The only problem that was left was on when and how to transfer her into that body."  
"Wasn't that dangerous?" Accelerator dared to ask, his head still low. The worry in his voice was only hinted, but noticeable nonetheless, and he drew a sharp breath when Kikyou nodded.

"Of course. But I didn't worry much about it – when I told her about the new body I created a while ago, she said she wasn't interested in it yet. From our calculations, we still had fourteen months before her body would... expire, and Last Order told me she wanted to keep it as long as possible.

But yesterday, she came in and said she wanted to have it immediately. I was reluctant at first – it is a troublesome procedure and I wanted to take my time in executing it, but Last Order begged me to do it at once."

Kikyou shortly looked away as she remembered Last Order's determined face. It was one of those moments where she realized that Last Order's mind was imprisoned in a body too small. She sighed to herself before she turned back to Accelerator.

"I won't pester you with all the confusing details, but it took us the entire day to pull this off. Not like she noticed it or anything, since she was unconscious the whole time. But I managed to give Last Order her new body at last, after transferring her personality and memories into it."

"Tch." Accelerator looked into the distance without seeing anything and turned himself away from Kikyou.

"And why did she suddenly want that body?"

"Are you truly asking this?" For the first time during their conversation, Kikyou's voice left the path of confidence and security, becoming more questioning, but also slightly nervous.

"Why do you think would she want a new body now of all times? She had overheard our conversation from the day before yesterday and figured that getting a new body would bring her closer to being loved by you."  
_Huh!?_

Accelerator stiffened up and he was glad he had turned away from Kikyou, because his eyes were widened in shock, revealing the confusion inside him. He clenched his teeth as a quiver went through his body.

_How the fuck am I supposed to react to that!? _He thought to himself as his stomach started to feel sick and his heart throbbed against his chest. He tightened his fist when Last Order's image rose up, this time in her new body, smiling at him like she usually did – or not? Wasn't there something more grown up about her smile, something more...?

Accelerator shook his head in denial as faintly as he could.

_Are you kidding me!? _He thought as he bit the inside of his cheek to calm his thoughts.

_I never thought about her that way. Damn that Yoshikawa, giving me sick thoughts like that!_

Accelerator became aware that Kikyou was too quiet behind him and he feared that if his silence lasted longer, it'd become suspicious.

_What if she takes my silence as a sign for me feeling... _attached _towards that brat? _Accelerator thought and the heat of humiliation rushed through his body.

_Don't give me such crap! There's no way Yoshikawa could be that stupid! _He tried to calm himself, but the fear of being seen through curled up inside his stomach like a flaming ball.

_Cut me some slack! I'm just protecting that little kid to... make up for... _With a shake of his head, he buried the upcoming admission towards his own feelings. He was not ready to admit it towards himself, let alone somebody else. For now, he had to concentrate on refuting Kikyou's assumption.  
"Let me guess," he started and turned his head to send his controlled, cold red eyes to Kikyou. "You did not care to enlighten her about the fact that having a mature body won't change anything about my attitude?"

Kikyou was startled and the confident look in her eyes suddenly vanished. She averted her eyes as her hand built a fist, which she quickly released with a guilty sigh.

"... No," she finally managed to admit and her voice revealed how she had feared this reaction of his. Just a second ago she had been sure that Accelerator could be moved by Last Order's attempt to be closer to him. But the way he looked at her now, so bland with that hint of insolence, she was sure that all her trouble, and even worse, all of Last Order's trouble were in vain.

The researcher did not budge when Accelerator sighed to himself, "Man, what a pain," nor did she move when the teenager took his leave, going past her.

When Accelerator was out of sight, she dared to raise her hand to her chest.  
"I have... remained a naive, not kind person after all," she mumbled to herself in sadness.

* * *

Accelerator deliberately chose a detour as a path back home.

_Tch. At least I could shut Yoshikawa up,_ he thought to himself while walking past some stores.

_Still... I probably should think about this shit before going back._

He sat down on a nearby bench and lifted his head to the sky. Sighing to himself, he once more went through the events from that morning.

_That brat – wait, can I even call her 'brat' anymore, now that she's about my age? Whatever, not like I care, _he brushed the thought away and concentrated on the important matter.

_What were you thinking, Yoshikawa? I'm not surprised _she _comes up with such a stupid idea, but that you're actually helping her? What if something had gone wrong?_

He unconsciously formed a fist when he thought about the possibility of Last Order getting hurt during the transfer. For a moment, he felt a tightness in his chest at the thought of her pain – or even worse, death.

Accelerator took a deep breath, reminding himself that she didn't get hurt in the end.

_Still, there was a possibility. And I wouldn't have even been able to save her then._

He frowned and looked at his hand, the hand of the strongest level 5 in Academy City, and he found it hard to believe there was something out of his reach, that he actually had something like a limit.

But he knew just too well that death _was _his limit. If Last Order was to die, not even his powers would be able to bring her back. Accelerator violently shook his head, trying to think more positively – something he wasn't good at.

_Then again... If what Yoshikawa said is true (and what reason would she have to lie to me?), then giving Last Order this new body was the only way to prevent her from dying soon._

Once more, heat sparked through his body at the thought of losing her. It took him a while to relax his thoughts and suppressing the urge to throw the bench he was sitting on into the window of the shop across from him.

_Well, whatever. There's nothing that can be done about it now_, he relaxed a bit and got up again.

_Maybe that'll mean less annoyance for me – that'd be something,_ he thought as he went back to the apartment. While he was using the elevator to reach the seventh floor, he felt how the confusion inside him was slowly disappearing, as if he was on the way of accepting the event.

He unlocked the door to the apartment and saw Last Order sitting on a couch who quickly turned her head to him upon his entrance. Everything about her seemed so different, even her posture was not the same anymore, and the features of her face, while definitely reminding him of her, appeared more mature and fine.

A sniffle escaped Last Order's lips and Accelerator could see tears shimmering in her eyes, her eyes which had stayed the same regardless of the transformation.

"Accelerator! Misaka calls out as Misaka runs up to him!" Last Order jumped off the couch with her arms wide open.  
Accelerator tried to dodge her, but in the small hallway, he had no way to escape and suddenly, he felt her arms wrapped around him. She was an entire head smaller than he was and she buried her head into his chest as she snuffled.

"Misaka was worried you wouldn't come back, Misaka admits as Misaka feels Accelerator's heartbeat beating against her cheek," the girl said quietly, pressing herself even tighter against him. Reluctantly, she lifted her head and looked at him with worry in her eyes.

Accelerator could only stare at her, for even her voice was not the same anymore.

_At least it's not the same voice as that third-class, _Accelerator thought, noticing how Last Order's voice was slightly higher pitched than the original, with a different tone as well.

"Are you mad at Misaka for getting this new body? Misaka asks as Misaka fears to be rejected."

Accelerator furrowed his brows as he looked into her chestnut eyes. He still saw the tears in them, and her chin was shaking slightly as if a 'yes' would cause her to break out crying.

With a sigh, he raised his hand and flicked his finger against her forehead.  
"I'm not mad, so let go of me," he said with averted eyes. There was something about her new body and the way she looked at him that made him feel unnaturally soft inside.

_How disgusting_, he thought, finding the idea of him going soft revolting. He stood there waiting for her to let go of him of her own accord.

Last Order, however, stared at Accelerator, confused from his unusual behavior, but then, a wide smile spread on her face and she hugged him even tighter.

"Hurray! Misaka calls out as Misaka feels relieved!" Last Order rejoiced while Accelerator struggled to stay on his feet.

"Waah, I said let go of me, brat!" He cursed and shoved her away, but Last Order only grinned at him.

"You can't call Misaka 'brat' anymore! Misaka says as Misaka puts her hands on her hips knowingly. 'Brat' is what you can call small children, but Misaka is not a child anymore and therefore you cannot call Misaka that, Misaka concludes as Misaka teaches Accelerator." And with that, she used her hand to swing her hair back, grinning even wider. He noted eerily how it resembled Mikoto's own cocky grin.

_Fuck..._

"Tch. I call you whatever I want, brat!" Accelerator replied with his head high as he squeezed by to sit down.

"Ehhh!? But you mustn't do that, Misaka says as Misaka feels unacknowledged!" Last Order said with her hands clasping in front of her chest. Suddenly, she looked down in confusion and stared at her bosom.

Surprised by her sudden silence, the white-haired teenager turned his head back to her.  
"What is it?" Accelerator asked with a look at her troubled face. He followed her gaze to her chest and only a second later was his head snapped to the side.  
Last Order had slapped him, her face being red like a tomato, just like the hand print on Accelerator's cheek.

"Y-y-you mustn't look at Misaka's chest, Misaka says as Misaka feels something she never felt before," Last Order stuttered as she unnecessarily covered her chest.

"Now, you..." Accelerator growled annoyed, touching his burning cheek. He could have easily used _Deflection _to prevent her from touching him, had he expected her to actually slap him.

With an annoyed grunt, he turned away from her and proceeded to sit on the couch, just like he had planned on doing earlier. But suddenly, his arm was held back and he turned his head to see Last Order staring at him while she gripped his wrist.

"What?" Accelerator asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Misaka is hungry, Misaka says as Misaka holds her stomach to underline her statement."

"So? Look in the fridge, maybe Yomikawa wrapped something up for you," he tried shaking her off but she wouldn't let go off his sleeve.  
Accelerator glared daggers at her. Now that she was bigger, she also seemed to be a bit stronger – and he never had a strong physique to begin with. Once more, he tried to free his arm from her, but Last Order only tightened her grip and the white-haired teenager sighed.

"There is nothing wrapped up in the fridge, Misaka says as Misaka holds on to Accelerator's arm."  
Last Order leaned forward with sparkling eyes, bringing her face closer to his.

"Misaka wants you to make dinner for her, Misaka says as Misaka -"  
She stopped herself when Accelerator placed his hand on her forehead to push her back.

"Sheesh, don't come so close to me. It's creepy," he grumbled as he had her an arm's length away.

Accelerator was confused for a second when he saw Misaka averting her eyes while her cheeks were flaming red. The girl touched her forehead where Accelerator's hand had been just a second ago and turned even redder. Suddenly, she shook her head forcefully before she lifted her head to look at him again.

"Now, will you cook something for Misaka? Misaka asks as Misaka pesters Accelerator into cooking."  
"Sheesh," the teenager jerked his head away. "Didn't you just say you're not a child anymore? Go and cook for yourself."

The girl looked down at the hand that still held on to Accelerator's arm. "But Misaka has just become an adult, Misaka admits as Misaka realizes that a taller body doesn't change everything like she had hoped. Misaka has yet to learn how to cook, Misaka adds as Misaka tries to appear eager to learn it from Accelerator."

The albino gave her a long look before he turned away.  
"Well, too bad, but I can't cook," he turned her down and lowered his back to finally sit down, but Last Order still held on to his sleeve.

_Tch. It was much easier getting rid of her when she was just a tot. I'll make you pay for this one day, Yoshikawa!_

"Please? Misaka asks as Misaka tries a new strategy and looks at Accelerator with innocent and begging eyes," Last Order leaned forward, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Seriously, that's not gonna work," Accelerator said unmoved as he withstood her regard. "Besides, looking at me like that won't change the fact that I can't cook."

"Then we can learn it together! Misaka says as Misaka proposes a nice idea."  
"That's not nice at all," Accelerator replied, but his voice was a lot more quiet and resigning already and Last Order's face brightened up as she realized she was close to breaking his resistance.

"Let's cook together, Misaka says as Misaka pulls Accelerator towards the kitchen," Last Order eagerly said and with a final sigh, Accelerator followed her.

In the kitchen, Last Order put out all kinds of kitchen tools and assembled them on the table. Most of them were unknown to both of the teenagers, but Last Order continued to grab more, adding some bowls and cutting boards.

"I don't think we need this many," Accelerator commented as the tools piled up and Last Order gave him a discouraged look.

"Eh? But how is Misaka supposed to figure out what to cook without knowledge of the available tools? Misaka asks as Misaka sticks some bowls into each other so they won't fall over."

"Whatever, do as you like," Accelerator gave up with a sigh and leaned against a wall, watching the spectacle of Last Order assembling everything they had on the table. A few minutes later, every cupboard was empty and the stack on the table was shaking considerably.

"Well, what are we going to cook? Misaka asks out loud as Misaka tries to come up with a simple yet delicious recipe," Last Order turned away from her assembly.

"Can't we just go to the convenience store?" Accelerator muttered annoyed, but Last Order turned to him with a serious expression.  
"Eating from convenience stores is such childish behavior! Misaka lectures as Misaka tries to act appropriate for her new body."

"Yeah, whatever," Accelerator grumbled with closed eyes when he suddenly felt something flying over to him. He opened his eyes, but it was too late and he found his sight was covered by some fabric. Angrily, he grabbed it and pulled it off his face.

"What the -!?" He started when he looked at the item.

_An... apron?_

His confused look turned into a disgusted one when he saw that Last Order gave him a pink one with hearts.

_It just _had _to be this apron, huh?_

"I'm _not _going to wear this!" He grunted towards her with furrowed brows, just to see that Last Order had already put on a similar one.  
She completely ignored his comment and swirled around.

"Hey, look, look! Misaka calls as Misaka turns for Accelerator to have a good look. Isn't this apron cute? Misaka asks as Misaka seeks for Accelerator's approval."

"Not really," the teenager muttered annoyed, but once more, Last Order ignored his words and walked to him.

"Now, now, you have to put it on like so, Misaka says as Misaka helps Accelerator to put the apron on."

"What!? Let go, I don't -!" He protested but she was surprisingly strong and just a second later, he actually was standing there with the pink apron, which was a great contrast both to his usual attire and personality.

_You've gotta be shitting me_, he thought with a bland expression while Last Order gave him a big smile, taking a step back to admire her work.

"Now you look good, Misaka says as Misaka approves of Accelerator's appearance. Let's get to the cooking now, Misaka proposes as Misaka opens the fridge to take a look at the possible ingredients."

"What a pain," Accelerator sighed to himself as he picked at the pink apron with disgust.

"We could make some meatballs with rice, Misaka says as Misaka finishes her inspection of the fridge."  
"Fine by me."

A few moments later, Accelerator was busy kneading some minced meat and forming it into small balls. His expression was anything but relaxed and he shot an angry glance towards Last Order, who was happily cooking sauce while boiling some water.

_I can't believe I'm actually doing this_, he thought to himself when Last Order ran up to him and looked over his shoulder.

"You're making nice progress, Misaka says as Misaka admires Accelerator's balls."

"That sounds completely wrong," the teenager commented cynical and Last Order turned red.

"N-no, that's not how Misaka meant it, Misaka defends herself as Misaka feels really embarrassed that Accelerator would interpret her in that way while she is ashamed she spouted out such nonsense."

Accelerator raised his head to look at the girl, realizing she actually started to act like a teenager.

_A pubertal airhead-teenager, yeah, but a teenager nonetheless, _he thought and once again felt a slight disturbance and some confusion inside of him. But another look into her chestnut eyes, and he found the Last Order he used to know: Childish, full of energy and positive, and the familiarity with her eyes eased his expression.

"Why are you looking at Misaka like this? Misaka asks as Misaka feels uncomfortable and an unfamiliar heat rises up to her face."  
"It's nothing," Accelerator turned away from her, forming the remaining minced meat into a ball as well.

"All done," he said towards Last Order and surprisingly, the hint of a smile had appeared on his face.

_Maybe cooking isn't that hard_, he thought with some pride.

Last Order stared at him surprised, since even the faintest smile completely altered his entire appearance.  
But Accelerator was quick to notice the change in the mood and he cocked his left eyebrow at the girl. "What is it?"

"N-nothing, Misaka says as Misaka tries to hide the fact that Accelerator looked kind of handsome."

"Huh?" Accelerator had a confused, yet bland look on his face.

"F-forget that! Misaka calls out as Misaka curses herself for letting that information slip," Last Order turned defensive and grabbed the plate with the meatballs.  
"Misaka will put these into the boiling water to cook -!" She began when she suddenly tripped over her own feet.

Quickly, Accelerator jumped forward and grabbed her shoulders, just catching her before she hit the ground.

"Are you okay!?" He panted worried.

Last Order lifted her head in surprise, tucking her long hair behind her ear and Accelerator tightened up, letting go of her before grunting, "Sheesh, watch where you're going, brat. You – the meatballs!"

His glare was directed to his work now spread out on the floor. Plus, all the tools that had been piled up on the table had fallen over due to the shake Last Order's fall caused and were lying around the entire kitchen.

"Seriously," Accelerator said to himself with a frown.

"Misaka is so sorry, Misaka says as Misaka realizes she put Accelerator's efforts to waste," Last Order hung her head down.

The white-haired teenager grumbled before he let out a relaxed sigh.  
"Whatever. I'll make new ones." With that, he turned to the fridge and grabbed another package of minced meat.

He was quiet while proceeding once more to form little balls and Last Order behind him was just as silent. Her face was still red and the girl put her hand to her chest.

_What is this feeling? Misaka wonders as Misaka talks to herself in her heart._

"Is something the matter? Misaka offers her help as she receives input from the administrator."

Last Order jerked her head up.

"Misaka 10032? Misaka asks as Misaka is surprised to be interrupted in her own train of thoughts!" Last Order asked out loudly, almost forgetting Accelerator behind her.

"Yes, Misaka confirms her serial number, though she is surprised that the administrator needs to verify such obvious things. Is there something I can help you with? Misaka asks as she offers her help once more."

"Why would it seem like Misaka needs help? Misaka asks as Misaka feels observed."

"The administrator showed an unusual heat spike in her being, Misaka explains as she evaluates the data that spreads through the Misaka Network.

Furthermore, there are some hormones present I have not seen active in such high concentration before, Misaka goes on as she makes a comment on an even more unusual occurrence.

Besides, since we are all connected through the Misaka Network, it is natural that the administrator's feelings and thoughts are transmitted to each Misaka, including myself, Misaka finishes as she replies to the administrator's indirect question."

"Oi, whom are you talking to?" Accelerator asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A-ah, it's Misaka 10032, Misaka replies as Misaka crawls on to clean up her mess," Last Order answered with an embarrassed smile.

"Misaka's sister is worried that Misaka might need some help, but Misaka is doing just fine, Misaka says as Misaka both answers Accelerator's question and declines her sister's offer."

"Is that so? Misaka asks as she seeks for confirmation and nods to herself. Very well then, I will be taking my leave to the facility now, Misaka excuses herself."

Last Order sighed to herself relieved and picked up some knives. Carefully, she put them into the sink, together with the rest of the tableware.  
While Accelerator was busy preparing the meatballs, Last Order quietly cleaned the dishes and tools and put them back in the cupboards. Once she was done, she scraped the meatballs from the ground and put them in the bin. Her final step, mopping the floor, was done just in time for Accelerator to finish with forming the meat.

"Will you put them in this pot? Misaka says as Misaka points to the pot with the boiling water," Last Order asked him, trying to avoid another mishap.  
One by one, Accelerator added the meatballs into the pot, then he covered it with a lid.

"The meatballs will need approximately twenty minutes to be thoroughly cooked, so Misaka turns on the rice cooker which will need twenty minutes as well, Misaka says as Misaka presents her calculations."

"Fine," Accelerator took off his apron and hung it up on a clasp, not without shooting it a disgusted glance.  
"I'll take a shower in the meantime. Keep an eye on the pot – if the water boils over, you have to remove the lid or turn down the heat."  
"Misaka knows! Misaka replies as Misaka pouts in disappointment that Accelerator still treats her like a child."  
The albino gave her a critical look.

_Just why do I have this feeling that the meal will be a complete mess once I step out of the shower?  
_

* * *

"All done! Misaka says as Misaka happily presents the set table," Last Order welcomed Accelerator right when he left the bathroom.

The white-haired teenager sat down at the table which was not only set, but also decorated with flowers and candles. Tableware and plates were set up for two and a platter with the meatballs carefully aligned and garnished with some basil stood between the two sets.

"What's that?" Accelerator asked and pointed to a yellow candle which emitted a vanilla scent.

"It's a scented candle, Misaka explains as Misaka sits down as well."  
"No, I know that. I meant, _why _did you put them up?"  
"Eh?" Last Order looked at him with slightly worried eyes.

"Don't you like it? Misaka asks as Misaka fears her efforts were pointless."  
Accelerator leaned his head onto his hand before he answered, "I don't really care."

Last Order's face brightened up and she shoved her fork into a meatball.  
"Then, itadakimasu! Misaka says as Misaka is eager to try out her and Accelerator's first self-made meal."

She shoved the fork into her mouth and panted heavily.  
"Id's sho hawd, Misaka says as -"  
"Don't speak with your mouth full."

Last Order gulped down her food and smiled brightly.

"It's very delicious, this meatball made by Accelerator! Misaka says as Misaka praises the food and his efforts."  
"Is that so?" Accelerator asked as he took a bite himself. It was a bit too salty and lacked some pepper in his opinion, but even though Aiho's food was a lot better, he somehow preferred this meal over his usual ones.

"You're right, it's good. The sauce too," he commented after taking a fork of rice and sauce.  
"Really? Misaka says as Misaka is happy to be praised!" Last Order rejoiced with a bright and big smile.

Looking at her, Accelerator felt that strange warmth inside of him rising that could only be created by Last Order. His features softened and even though it was hard for him to say, he still forced the words out, "Yeah. You did good."  
Immediately, he turned his eyes back to the meal and continued to eat, not aware of the startled expression on Last Order's face.

The girl looked at him in surprise before a gentle smile appeared on her face.

::BREAK:::

After washing the dishes from the meal, both of them sat down in front of the TV. While randomly switching channels, Accelerator turned on a love movie. Just as he was about to switch further, his hand was suddenly touched by Last Order's.

"Misaka would like to see that, Misaka says as Misaka feels a curiosity in her heart."  
Accelerator frowned annoyed, but he put the remote aside for a while. He partly closed his eyes, as he still didn't like love movies, but there was nothing else on TV anyway, so he might as well let her watch what she wanted.

It was a typical, cheesy love story and Accelerator hated every second of it. Last Order however, seemed to enjoy it, so he tried his best to block out the noise, cursing the fact he couldn't use _Deflection_ freely for this.

Slowly but surely, the movie was coming to an end.

Last Order wore an eager expression as the man and the woman on TV kissed in the final scene and with his eyes half open, Accelerator saw the scene too.

As the girl turned his head to him, the white-haired teenager tightened up.

_Not this again,_ he thought annoyed and mentally prepared himself for the question that had to come.

"Misaka was wrong, wasn't she? Misaka asks as Misaka realizes her mistake."  
"No – wait, what?" Accelerator spat out his prepared response before he realized she had asked something completely different. He raised himself up and watched the teenager clasping her hands.

"Misaka... has been thinking about this while you were gone, Misaka admits as Misaka wears a thoughtful expression.

Misaka has only been in this body since this morning, so there are a lot of things Misaka has yet to experience and understand. As you probably know, Misaka asked for this body so you would kiss her, because you said Misaka was too young to being kissed, Misaka says as Misaka brings up the reason for her change despite it probably being unnecessary."  
_That wasn't the only issue there_, Accelerator thought with a raised, trembling eyebrow.

"But now, Misaka feels like she understands why Accelerator couldn't kiss her, Misaka admits as Misaka lowers her head a bit more in embarrassment.

Misaka was not able to fully comprehend the term 'love', especially the difference between the love of a child and the love of an adult. Now that Misaka has this body, she starts to understand that what she felt for you was the love of a small child, like the love between siblings, whereas the kiss she asked for was something which represented the love between adults, Misaka says as Misaka tries to word it correctly.

B- but!" Last Order suddenly stopped and pressed her hands onto her lips.

"But this morning, Misaka just kissed Accelerator, Misaka remembers as Misaka speaks her thoughts aloud," the girl said with a trembling voice. Her eyes wavered over to Accelerator and upon his sight, Last Order turned bright red and started waving with her arms.

"You only notice that now!?" Accelerator spat at her in bewilderment and Last Order turned even redder.

"B-but that was the old Misaka! Misaka says as Misaka tries to escape the blame. And it wasn't a real kiss, since Accelerator did not kiss Misaka back, right? Misaka asks as Misaka tries to seek confirmation to calm her nerves."

Accelerator stared at the girl with confusion.

_Confusion? Shouldn't I be relieved that she finally realizes that what she asked from me was impossible? Why am I feeling so troubled by her talking like that?_

Last Order drew a deep breath, but while she mustered the courage to talk again, her eyes avoided Accelerator.

"Misaka now knows that she can't simply ask you for a kiss, Misaka says as Misaka admits she was in the wrong. Misaka doesn't know whether her childish love for you will turn into an adult kind of love over time, but if that's what's to happen, Misaka won't make the same mistake again."  
Last Order lifted her head and looked at Accelerator with a body which finally matched the mature side of hers.

"Misaka won't ask you to kiss her ever again. If Misaka was to fall in love with you, Misaka will wait for you to fall in love with her, too, and she will wait for you to kiss her, Misaka says as Misaka states her position.

But if Misaka happens to fall in love with you..." the girl suddenly mumbled embarrassed to herself and raised her hand to her chest, "would it be alright for Misaka to confess to you? Misaka asks as Misaka wants to make sure on how adults deal with love."

Accelerator wore a puzzled expression.

_What? Confess? Wait, wasn't she just telling me she'd drop the topic?_

Last Order looked up, but the albino averted his eyes from her, feeling an unusual tickling sensation in his stomach.

_What the hell is wrong with me? Am I getting nervous because she is talking about love?  
How come she cannot realize that I simply cannot love?_

His mind was clouded by the memories of his past. The people he killed, the way he acted, his inability to prevent the _Level 6 Shift Project _from happening, all that was more than enough reason for him to be unworthy of love. He had such a hard time accepting this second chance he was given at life, with Last Order, how should he dare thinking about something as big as love?

He tightened his fist and clenched his teeth when he suddenly heard Last Order getting up.

Looking at her, he saw she wore a hurt expression, but it wasn't the hurt expression of the child he was used to seeing, not the kind of hurt which would fade away after an ice cream or a day. It was the kind of hurt that ran deeper, further than physical pain could inflict, created by him no less by not reacting to her questions.

"I..." Accelerator started, but unlike the other times, Last Order was not willing to listen to him. When she would usually pester him for an answer until he felt like locking her away in a cupboard for a day or two, she now had no patience left. The hormones inside her won over her normal understanding and the girl abruptly turned away from him, her hair flying through the air like a curtain in the wind.

"Accelerator is an idiot! Misaka curses as Misaka leaves the room angrily!" She yelled as she went down the hallway.

Accelerator stared at her until she violently slammed the door of her room shut, then he let himself sink back into the cushion of the couch.

_What the heck? _He thought confused as he crossed his arms behind his neck.

His eyes had a puzzled expression to them and he felt a guilty sting within his being.

"_Would it be alright for Misaka to confess to you?"_

"Tch! I should've just said that's not gonna happen anyway," Accelerator grumbled to himself.

_I'd be right about that, too. Now that she's older - or rather, more mature... Now, there's no way for her _not_ to notice what's wrong with me._

His heart sank down into his stomach when he thought that from now on, Last Order would divert more and more from her usual closeness to him. Her storming off like that just now was the perfect example. Soon, she would stop worshiping him the way she used to and this kind of childish love would most likely fade away completely.

His throat became tight at the thought and he placed one hand on his face to cover his worried eyes.

_For fucks sake, why do I care about that? As if love was such a great feeling anyway, _he angrily thought as he brushed over his forehead.

_Loving someone can hurt you more than anything else. It can force you into doing reckless, stupid things. Like giving your life away, just to protect that other person. How stupid is that?_ As if to purposely contradict himself, he couldn't help but remember how he nearly did exactly that when he took a bullet to the head while trying to save her.

_Tch. That had nothing to do with love,_ he denied himself.

But his thoughts could not silence the worry inside of him.  
The teenager sighed to himself when he suddenly was pulled out of his thoughts by someone unlocking the door to the apartment. He jerked his head to the entrance to see Aiho with her hands holding on to two bags worth of grocery shopping.

"Oi, don't just stare at me like that," Aiho ordered. "Come up and help me, there's more in the corridor."

For a moment, Accelerator felt like taking his crutch and locking himself up in his room, shutting out the world like he wanted to.

But instead, he got up and laboriously walked to the entrance, picking up another bag right behind the door.

"Seriously, asking the cripple to help you with carrying bags," he muttered towards Aiho as they stood in the kitchen and unloaded the products.

"I'm sorry," Aiho apologetically grinned towards him. "Usually, Last Order helps me, but I figured she's not here?" There was an unspoken question behind her words.  
"What makes you think that?" Accelerator asked, a can of coffee in his hand.

"Oh, so she _is_ here?" Aiho asked back surprised. "She usually sits around you all day, so when I saw you lying there alone, I figured she was out with Kikyou."  
"She's in her room," the teenager muttered before he took a sip and Aiho gave him a pitiful look.

"Did you have a fight? Well, you better get used to it – she's in puberty now. I know you didn't really go through that, due to your ability suppressing some of your hormones, but Kikyou said she wanted Last Order to grow up as normally as possible, so puberty can't be helped."

"Ah, is that so?" Accelerator commented blandly.

"Well, don't think so deeply into it when she starts yelling at you or stuff like that," Aiho went on while she prepared some dinner for herself. "It's just part of growing up."

"Hm." Accelerator stared out of the window, and the troubled feeling inside him partly faded at Aiho's words.

Suddenly, the woman beside him laughed wholeheartedly.

"I gotta admit, this morning when I saw her like that, I was shocked too! I can't blame you for storming off to clear your thoughts," the Anti-Skill Member winked at Accelerator as she took a bite from her bread.

"Damn that Kikyou, I gave her a proper lecture too. But Last Order seemed happy with her new body. Especially her long hair. Guess I'll have to show her some ways of styling it."

Accelerator slowly turned his head to his guardian, and Aiho gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"It's all cool. We all have to get used to her new appearance, last but not least Last Order herself. Be sure to be by her side when she's scared or confused about those new feelings and experiences."

"Whatever," the teenager sighed as he turned away from Aiho, but while his words might have fooled her, his tone and posture gave away the relief he felt.  
He made his way to his room and laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling and knowing that just a few meters away, Last Order was probably doing the same.

And maybe, just maybe, she was thinking about their future, just like he did, curious about what was to come and if she actually would, like she said, fall in love with him.

It was a strange feeling, thinking about it like that, and Accelerator rolled over to one side.

_If that was to happen... What should I do? _He wondered, imagining Last Order confessing to him.

Yet again, this unfamiliar feeling rose up in him, tickling in his stomach, but the teenager was quick to shake his head and brush the feeling away.

_Whatever. It's not like she already fell in love with me. There's no way that's going to happen anyway, so I shouldn't worry about it too much._

_After all, what are the odds?_

Little did he know that odds have little relevance when love is involved.


	5. Unconditionally

**A Certain Complex Feeling**

Chapter 5 ~ Unconditionally

* * *

"Oi, are you done yet!?" Accelerator slammed his hand against the door to the bathroom.

"J-just a minute! Misaka says as Misaka tries to buy time."  
"You said that half an hour ago," the boy muttered annoyed before he turned away from the door.

Aiho stood behind him, wearing her typical grin.

"Is she still occupying the bathroom? Teenage girls," she added with a fake sigh.

"How come such a spacious apartment doesn't have a second bathroom?" Accelerator asked accusingly, as if Aiho had control over the setup of their place.

"Well, I'm sorry," Aiho sarcastically commented, but she stopped herself when the door to the bathroom suddenly opened.  
Last Order stepped out, an anxious look on her face.

She had tied up her long hair into a high ponytail. The shorter layers at the front were slightly curled and framed her face nicely. As a little twist, she had French-Braided one section on the left side of her head and joined that braid into the ponytail. It gave her both a casual and yet cute look.  
She had also switched Kikyou's transitory clothes for a more stylish outfit, wearing a fawn, loose, strappy top, and dark blue jeans with a braided brown belt.

Accelerator felt a strange sensation in his stomach as he looked at her.

_She looks beauti- wait, what!? Come on, gimme a break! _He ceased his thoughts angrily and set up an even more annoyed expression than usual to hide his initial thoughts. He still was not used to her new body, not completely. When he thought of her, he always saw her childish body. Thus, being confronted with her mature appearance caught him off guard and managed to make him think thoughts he would usually bury from the start. To him, it was an unpleasant occurrence.

Last Order slowly turned from one side to the other, showing her new clothes and hairstyle to Aiho.

"I-Is this okay? Misaka asks as Misaka feels uncertain about her new style, though she actually likes it."

With a big smile, Aiho gave her a thumbs up, "This is amazing! You look so good in it. It was worth teaching you how to braid your hair yesterday evening."  
"You think so? Misaka is happy! Misaka says as Misaka finds comfort in her new appearance," Last Order smiled widely and put a hand on her hips.

"What do you think, Accelerato-!" she began, but the white-haired teenager simply squeezed by her with a grunt.  
"Tch. Making me wait for something like that," he muttered before he closed the door behind him.

"So rude! Misaka loudly complains as Misaka stomps with her foot on the floor to emphasize her anger."

Aiho gave the young girl a relaxing pat on the shoulder. "Don't take offense at it. He's just insecure about your new appearance, that's all."  
"Really? Misaka asks as Misaka plays with a strand of her hair to display her doubt."

"Really. Now, you have a meeting with Mikoto?"  
"Yes! Onee-sama said she wanted to see Misaka in her new body, Misaka says as Misaka checks herself in the mirror once more."  
"Unfortunately, I can't bring you to the center," Aiho mumbled to herself with a worried expression. "I have to leave for work now. Kikyou is out of town, so maybe you should wait for Accelerator to accompany you -"

"Really, Misaka is not a child anymore! Misaka interrupts Aiho as Misaka shows some indignation."

"Ah, sorry," Aiho smiled at her, though it didn't seem completely honest – the worry about Last Order's safety wouldn't fade away just due to a new body and it was hard on Aiho to give her some more independence so quickly. However, she also knew that the teenager would insist on being independent regardless of her worries – just like a typical teenager.  
"I have to get used to everything right now, that's all, "Aiho waved away with another smile. "Well then, take this purse. You know how to ride a bus, right?"  
"Of course I do! Misaka replies as Misaka puts the purse into her bag."  
"Do you have your cell with you?"  
"Aiho! Misaka pouts as Misaka is starting to be annoyed."

The Anti-Skill Member grinned. "Sorry, sorry. You're a big girl, you'll do fine. If something's up, you can call Accelerator, Mikoto or me."  
Last Order shot a final smile towards her guardian, then she went for the exit. After carefully putting on her brown knee boots and a chestnut blazer, she left the apartment with a, "Misaka is off! Misaka says as Misaka leaves."

After smiling to herself, Aiho got changed for work and left the apartment as well.

This way, Accelerator was greeted by absolute silence when he left the bathroom after his shower.  
"Hm? Nobody's here?" He mumbled to himself and for a second, nervousness built up inside him.

_Calm down. She's not a kid anymore_, he thought and shook off the nervous feeling.

_It hasn't been this quiet around me for weeks. I should enjoy it._

Accelerator slowly moved to the couch and reached out for the remote.  
His fingers, however, touched something different.  
With a frown, he lifted the object to his face, and he sighed upon recognizing it.

"Seriously, how oblivious can she be?"

* * *

"Ehh? Misaka says as Misaka searches for her phone in her bag."  
"Did you forget to bring it?"

Last Order and Mikoto were at a sidewalk cafe, each having a big cup of ice cream.

Last Order was nervously scrabbling through her bag and Mikoto could not help but smile.

_She looks so different, but she has remained the same_, she thought to herself with relief.

Just half an hour ago had they met up and upon first sight, Mikoto had been startled.

_Well, it _was _quite a shock; usually, it would have taken five years for her to look like this, if she had been able to grow. But I'm glad to see that Kikyou helped her to have some... individuality._

With that, she shot a discreet glance towards Last Order's bosom, which was evidently bigger than hers.

Mikoto sighed to herself. _Well, I can't blame her for that.  
Still, it's good to see her like this; we could pass as mere sisters, not twins, thanks to the changes Kikyou has made on her features._

Even though she didn't like admitting it, the fact that Last Order didn't look completely identical to her put her at ease. Even though she did care about her sisters, it always made her feel quite uncomfortable to face them – it was like looking in a mirror, except for that mirrored image walking and talking on its own.  
_At first, I couldn't handle it_, Mikoto remembered the first time she had met a clone of hers. One day, she even went so far to break down and yell at her to not face her 'with that face and voice.'

Over time, Mikoto had learned to deal with it, but there was always a slight sting of confusion whenever she met up with a sister. To her relief, Last Order had enough individual characteristics for Mikoto to look at her without feeling distracted.

With a surrendering sigh, Last Order tossed her bag beneath her chair.

"It's not there, Misaka says as Misaka gives up and shoves her spoon into the ice cream."  
"Well, we have already met up, so it's not that bad," Mikoto reassuringly smiled at her before she took a spoonful as well.

"Mhm, delicious!" She munched happily and in front of her, Last Order was mumbling just the same.

"And, what's it like? Do you like your new body?"  
"I do! Misaka replies as Misaka licks off remaining ice cream from the spoon.

Misaka has only had this body since yesterday morning, so it is a bit confusing, but Misaka really enjoys being taller and having long hair! Misaka is also really looking forward to going to school starting next month, Misaka says as Misaka lists the advantages of her new body.  
Misaka can also cling on to Accelerator a lot easier, now, Misaka goes on as Misaka smirks to herself, remembering how he could not break himself free of her tight grip."

"Really? That sounds nice!" Mikoto replied, barely managing to hide her mixed feelings.  
_Just why is she so obsessed with that murderer!? _Mikoto wondered while wearing a fake smile.

_He might have saved her that one day and has been protecting her ever since, but that's not nearly enough to forgive what he has done!_

As usual, Mikoto felt horror and anger building up inside of her when she remembered the massacres Accelerator would induce upon the set up battles with the Sisters. Once, she had witnessed how he had let an entire train crush Misaka 9982, after tearing off her leg.

Tiny sparks danced around Mikoto's head, but she managed to suppress the electricity before Last Order could take notice.

"Say, Last Order, why do you like Accelerator so much?" Her voice was bland, yet almost trembling with anger.

Last Order looked up with a confused expression.  
"'Why' you ask? Misaka echoes as Misaka shows some surprise. Well..." Last Order thought about it for a while, holding the ice cream cup in her hands, and a smile formed on her face.

"Because he's a good person! Misaka replies as Misaka states the obvious."  
"A... good person?" Mikoto repeated and despite her trying not to show it, confusion and anger broke through her facade.  
"But Last Order," the Railgun insisted and got up, her hands resting on the table. "Have you forgotten what he did to the others? How he killed our sisters!?"

Mikoto's eyes were shaking as she stared at Last Order. Once more, the electricity inside her tried to force its way out and this time, Mikoto did not suppress it.  
But Last Order did not even flinch. Her eyes were serious, but at the same time had a gentle touch to them.

"Misaka has not forgotten, Misaka says as Misaka closes her eyes. Misaka remembers each of her sisters and could never forget them.

But Misaka has realized that Accelerator never wanted to fight them. He does not want to admit it, but Misaka can see that he is a good person at heart, and he regrets what he did a lot, Misaka adds as Misaka presents her insight on Accelerator.

Ever since they met, Accelerator had been really caring towards Misaka, Misaka says as Misaka remembers their first encounter. He tries to conceal his kindness because he is... he is afraid that it might make him vulnerable, Misaka concludes as Misaka has a thought she never had before."

For a moment, Last Order stopped and she hung after her thoughts. Being given a more mature body, she was also finally able to come to more mature conclusions and she liked the feeling of it.

With a soft shake of her head, Last Order looked to her sister and continued, "Furthermore, he has been treated with fear and rejection ever since he was born due to his powerful ability and it's only natural for him being unable to properly display affectionate feelings when he's never experienced them himself, Misaka goes on as Misaka realizes the pain and suffering Accelerator must have gone through and feels a little saddened herself."

"Even so!" Mikoto interrupted her with anger. "That's not enough reason to excuse what he did!"

"You may be right, Misaka agrees as Misaka nods to Onee-sama's statement. But even so, Misaka cannot help but like him for the good things he did, and if there's truly no way to make up for what he did, then what is Misaka supposed to wait for? Misaka asks Onee-sama as Misaka wishes to hear a solution that would make everyone happy."

"Er, well..." Mikoto started, but then she sighed and sat down.  
"Just because there's no way to make up for it doesn't mean it's okay," the Railgun mumbled while eating another spoonful of ice cream.

"You're right, it's not. But Misaka can see he's trying really hard to make up for it, Misaka says as Misaka thinks about Accelerator," Last Order replied with a gentle smile. Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide in surprise and got up, waving with her arms.  
"Hey, Accelerator! Misaka calls as Misaka waves to him!"

Mikoto quickly turned around, to see how said teenager slowly walked up to them. The red eyes were narrowed and the expression on his face seemed annoyed, to say the least.

"Oi, brat!"

"Yes? Wait, you cannot call Misaka that, Misaka already told – ah, whatever, Misaka brushes the topic away as Misaka decides to simply deal with it.  
What brings you here, Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka tilts her head to express her confusion about Accelerator's appearance."

"Don't gimme that," the albino replied reserved and reached into his pocket.  
"You forgot it in the apartment today."

"Ah, Misaka's cell!" Last Order called out and reached forward with both of her hands to take her cell phone. "Thank you for going out of your way to bring it to Misaka, Misaka thanks as Misaka performs a little bow to express her gratitude."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll be off," Accelerator waved her goodbye, already turning away from her, but Last Order jumped forward and grasped his hand.

"Wait, Accelerator! Would you like to eat with us? Misaka invites him as Misaka points welcoming to the table."

"Not really," Accelerator replied, but Last Order wouldn't settle for that, of course.

"You haven't eaten anything yet, right? Misaka asks as Misaka knows that the answer will be 'no'."

"So what? You think ice cream is the best way to fill an empty stomach?" Accelerator asked back in an attempt to shake her off.

But Last Order only briefly shook her head.

"You can have a sandwich here as well. Come on, it's a treat from Misaka to you! Misaka says as Misaka decides to pay Accelerator back for his act of kindness and consideration."

"That had nothing to do with kindness," Accelerator denied with furrowed brows. "I just don't want to go through the trouble of searching for you in town when you get lost again."

"Yeah, yeah," Last Order nodded as she ignored his words and pushed him towards a chair. "Now, get seated and order whatever you like! Misaka says as Misaka wins the argument."

With a surrendering sigh, Accelerator sat down and leaned his cane against the table. He noticed how Mikoto shot him an angry glance and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"You got a problem, third class?"

"I have a name!" Mikoto spat hotly and was about to jump over the table, but to her surprise, Accelerator suddenly jerked up.

"Ow! What was that for!?" He yelled at Last Order who had averted her head.  
"Misaka has no idea what you might be talking about, Misaka says as Misaka acts innocent," the girl said while looking at her fingernails, obviously putting up an act.

"Stop joking around, Last Order!" Accelerator growled angrily. "You just kicked me under the table!"

"Well, if Misaka would have done that, she might have done it to stop you from insulting Onee-sama, Misaka says as Misaka presents a hypothesis."

"Preventing me from insulting that third rate Railgun? Seriously, don't you have other things to worry about?" Accelerator grunted annoyed before he sat down again.  
Mikoto opened her mouth, about to give Accelerator a proper insult, but before she could do so, Last Order jerked her head to Accelerator and her eyes were sparkling with anger.

"Onee-sama has a name, and it's Misaka Mikoto! Why would you act so unfriendly towards her? Onee-sama has done nothing to deserve this condescending attitude! Misaka exclaims as Misaka stands up for her sister!"

Mikoto stared up at her sister in surprise.

_Acting up against Accelerator is so unlike Last Order_, she thought to herself and felt warmth rising inside her, causing her to smile.

Accelerator seemed to think the same thing, though he was obviously offended by it. He had even twitched back at Last Order's unexpected yelling and now stared at the teenager with furrowed brows.

Finally, after seconds of intense silence, the albino pushed himself off the table and got his crutch.

"W-what are you doing? Misaka asks as Misaka suddenly feels a sharp pain striking through her chest at the possibility of Accelerator being angry."  
"Tch. I'm leaving," Accelerator said with cold eyes.

"W-wait! Misaka begs as Misaka jumps forward to cross Accelerator's path."

The white-haired teenager looked up with a detached expression.  
"Out of my way."

Last Order took a step back at Accelerator's harsh voice, but then she straightened up and shook her head.

"No. Misaka won't let you escape from an argument like a little child by running away, Misaka says as Misaka widens her stance to symbolize her determination."

Accelerator slightly tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Last Order, why do you so desperately want me and that girl to be friends? I don't even get it – she's behaving naturally. After all," he added with a slightly lowered voice, "It was me who killed her clones."

"But you're feeling sorry for that, Misaka says as Misaka shakes her head in denial of the things Accelerator just said," Last Order protested with sincere eyes.

"Sorry?" Accelerator echoed. "I can't recall ever saying that to you."

The comment made Last Order take yet another step back and her eyes started to fill with tears. The girl quietly sniffled as she hung her head low and a breeze swept her fringe to the right, covering her sad eyes.

Accelerator kept his eyes locked to Last Order, one hand in the pockets of his gray jeans, while the other gripped the cane unnaturally tight, and the silence between the two seemed to be unbearable.

Mikoto stared at the scene in front of her with narrowed, worried eyes.

_This is no good. Last Order just has too much goodwill to ever realize what kind of an asshole this guy is. But if he keeps pushing on her that much, she might break down..._

Even though she didn't feel like doing it, Mikoto slowly pushed herself off her chair. She prepared herself to say something, anything to end that fight when suddenly, Accelerator sighed.

"Whatever. You want me to stop calling her third rate, despite her being just that?" He asked rhetorically, and without waiting for her answer, he turned his head to the Railgun behind him.

"Well then, Misaka. Does that make you feel any better around me?"  
It was a sarcastic question, full of condescension, but unexpectedly, Mikoto could feel that it did the trick, and she nodded, much to Accelerator's surprise.

"Yes, that feels much better."  
_And even if it hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to resist shocking you like that_, she thought and barely held back her cocky grin as Accelerator furrowed his brows.

_But actually, this _has_ changed something. Not that he calls me by name from now on, but the way he backed down when he saw Last Order starting to cry._

She watched how Last Order put up a giant smile, grabbed Accelerator's arm and dragged him back to the table. Accelerator was protesting, but it came off only half-heartedly.

_For some reason, he really does care for her. It won't make up for the deaths of my sisters, but maybe... Maybe it's just like Last Order said. There is no way to make up for it. And that he's trying to nonetheless is the only thing we can expect him to do._

These thoughts certainly did not completely erase Mikoto's hatred towards Accelerator.

But deep in her heart, Mikoto had always put the blame for the Sisters' deaths on herself; if she hadn't allowed the scientists to use her DNA for "research purposes" in the first place, none of them would have been created and thus, none of them would have died.

It had taken her a long time to bury these thoughts, but ever since she had managed to let go of them, her heart and head felt so much lighter. Just the same, the hatred towards Accelerator had laid heavily on her chest and she knew that with letting it go, she'd gain more peace of mind, which was what the Sisters wanted from her. And Mikoto was willing to do anything to make the Sisters happy.

With these thoughts in mind, Mikoto even managed to work up an awkward smile towards Accelerator when the teenager looked at her.

* * *

An hour later, the three teenagers were at Seventh Mist, one of the most popular shopping malls in Academy City. It was a futuristic construction, built several stories high with a flat accessible roof for events, and was especially favored by teenage girls.

"Wow, it's huge! Misaka says as Misaka stares up the building, feeling extremely excited about shopping there!" Last Order exclaimed with a big smile. She turned around, to see an amused Mikoto and a certainly annoyed Accelerator.

"Geez, would you stop looking like that? Misaka asks Accelerator as Misaka feels disturbed by his obvious display of annoyance."  
"If it pisses you off that much, you shouldn't have dragged me here, stupid brat!" Accelerator snapped at her, but the teenager girl only sighed to herself and put her hands on her hips.

"Seriously, you're so boring, Accelerator, Misaka says as Misaka shakes her head in disapproval. Let's go now, shall we? Soon, it will be swimsuit season, and Misaka doesn't own a swimsuit yet, Misaka explains as Misaka pictures herself in the cutest bikini ever!"

"Did you say cute?" Mikoto asked and her face lit up as her thoughts were occupied by cuteness – an inclination of hers which was only known by her closest friends.

"Yes, cute, Misaka repeats as Misaka walks up to Accelerator to grab his hand so he can't run away."

In fact, Accelerator had already turned around halfway, sniffing his chance at escaping, and he tightened up when Last Order took him by the hand.

"Come on now, Accelerator!" The girl ordered with a cocky grin.  
"Misaka wants you to have some fun with us, Misaka says as Misaka drags him into the building."

Mikoto couldn't help but chuckle at the two in front of her. Simultaneously, both of them turned to her with a questioning face, but Mikoto only waved with her hand.

"No no, it's nothing. You two are just so cute together."

"C-cute? Misaka echoes as Misaka understands and let's go of Accelerator's hand immediately," Last Order stuttered and took a step away from the boy. Her face was red and she looked up at Accelerator with shy eyes.

The albino muttered something to himself which neither of the girls could understand, then he turned to the entrance.

"Let's get going. I don't wanna spend the entire day here," he grunted.

The next hour seemed to fly by. Mikoto and Last Order tried on the most girly things they could lay their fingers on, and Mikoto's initial reluctance, a remnant of her behavior around other people, soon turned into enthusiasm.

All the while, Accelerator sat in a corner, waiting for the day to pass by.

At a particular shop, the albino had closed his eyes because the girls took forever to come out. This way, he did not notice how they snuck up on him. Only when he heard the loud _click _of a camera did he open his eyes.

Both Mikoto and Last Order had bent over him, posing with a camera.

"Let's see, let's see..." Mikoto mumbled as she pressed the buttons on the camera to see the finished picture.

"Me too! Misaka exclaims as Misaka squeezes past Accelerator to see the - !" The rest of her sentence was buried in laughter, and Mikoto had to hold her hand to her mouth to suppress an outburst.

"What are you laughing about?" Accelerator angrily broke in and snatched the camera to take a look himself.

The girls had put up funny faces in front of him while it looked as if he slept. The teenager raised his eyebrow before he gave the camera back to Mikoto.

"Tch. You're so annoying," he grumbled quietly and Mikoto slapped his shoulder.

"And you're so boring!" She shot back grinning, then she nodded towards Last Order.

Quickly, the girl drew out a tee and slipped it over Accelerator's head.

"What!? Get off of me!" He cursed but Last Order wouldn't let go of him until the tee fit him properly.

"It's summer, Accelerator!" Last Order feigned superiority. "And all you've been wearing lately is this boring long sleeve, Misaka lectures as Misaka tries to show Accelerator what he should dress like."

With furrowed brows, Accelerator looked down on the shirt.

It was a white, slim fit with a multi-colored phrase printed on it, saying 'Beachboy'.

Looking up with a disgusted expression, Accelerator was once again met by grinning faces.

"I don't want to wear this," he started, but before he could rip it off, Last Order had put her hand on his shoulder.

"But Misaka has already bought it for you, Misaka says as Misaka tries to appeal to Accelerator's sense of concession."

For a few seconds, Accelerator stared into Last Order's eyes. Then, with a big sigh, he rested his arms at his sides, stopping the attempt of taking the shirt off.

A wide smile spread on Last Order's face, then she turned back to Mikoto, starting random chatter. The two girls started making their way to yet another store, and Last Order turned halfway to Accelerator, waving her hand to imply for him to following them.

When the albino got up with the hint of an amused smile on his face, Last Order's smile turned more gentle.

_Misaka wants you to be happy and have fun, Accelerator, Misaka thinks as Misaka crosses her fingers for her plan to work._

* * *

"Tch. What an annoying day," Accelerator mumbled to himself, back in the apartment later that day. After the shopping tour, he had finally managed to get home alone, while Mikoto had invited Last Order to visit a friend of hers.

Despite him trying to convince himself otherwise, Accelerator had actually enjoyed spending time with Last Order. These hours with her had given him the opportunity to get used to her new body a bit better, and above that, he had been able to see her smiling countless times. And with each smile that Last Order would shoot towards him, he would feel a gentle warmth wrapping around his heart.

Suddenly, Last Order's fierce and angry expression appeared before him. Accelerator grunted disturbed as he once more felt a wave of cold rushing over him, remembering how the girl had actually yelled at him, the strongest level 5 in Academy City.

_That's so unlike her_, he thought slightly worried. It was just as Aiho had predicted: Last Order would fight with him much quicker and more intense. And much to his dismay, he felt truly troubled by it.  
_Not only because fighting takes up energy and is troublesome_, he thought as he rolled over to get off the couch.

_I... don't like the way she looks at me when she's mad. Her eyes were full of rejection and anger, _he remembered and a quiver went down his spine. Balling his hand into a fist, he shook his head.

_I should have gotten used to people staring at me like that. I got worse looks before. People staring at me, drowning in fear by my mere presence, and trying to cover it by acting tough and challenging me._

_Those shitty bastards, _he clenched his teeth. _I was born with this power – did I, as a child, ever do something that justified tanks coming after me?_

Just as he could not remember his real name, Accelerator could barely remember his childhood. Maybe because he never had something like that. While he did nothing bad or aggressive in his early years, the mere thought of him doing something like that one day was enough for the people to fear him. And instead of doing what would have been right – talking to him and trying to teach him how to properly use his powers for good – they decided to send soldiers after him in an attempt to kill him.__

If no one had challenged me... I wouldn't have had a reason to fight back. I wouldn't have had a reason to join the Level 6 Shift Project_.  
And I wouldn't have met Last Order..._ This sudden realization sent a shiver down his spine, but Accelerator ignored the feeling and concentrated on letting his thoughts of anger flow; it was a much more familiar and thus calming train of thought, despite it being so destructive.

_I could take on every other level 5 here in Academy City whenever I feel like it. I could kill whomever disobeys me to force my way to the top. And yet, this goddamn place is still standing, right? Isn't that enough proof!? All those people staring at me with those fearful eyes are nothing but fucktards who can't think for themselves!_

Accelerator drew a deep breath, realizing he had allowed himself to drift into more vulnerable thoughts. Deep down, he knew exactly why he was the way he was. Where his insanity and the sadistic, condescending side of his came from.

It was nothing but a protective mechanism against the people who forced him to cross the line that men should not cross. At a place inside his heart, which he would never allow to be seen or even guessed, Accelerator felt rejected by the world, and this desperate, lonely feeling of rejection had eventually turned into hate.

_I couldn't care less about the opinion of such people. But that brat... She's the one person I _don't _want to look at me this way._

The albino sighed to himself with a saddened expression, putting down the facade he kept up for too long. Suddenly, the door to the apartment was thrust open.

"Yay! Misaka calls as Misaka storms in and in a feeling of exhaustion falls onto the couch!  
No 'welcome home'? Misaka asks as Misaka feels disappointed by Accelerator's lack of manners," Last Order complained as she pushed herself up with a playful pout.

Accelerator stared at her, his face a perfect display of the utter disturbance he felt at that moment. He had let down his guard and allowed himself to be overwhelmed by thoughts which have been nagging at him for years, only because he was sure to be alone for another couple of hours. With the feelings pushing and pulling at his chest, he had a hard time putting up a mask again, and sorrow was seeping through it.

Even Last Order could not help but notice that something was different about him.

"Is everything alright, Accelerator?" She asked as she got up, a worried expression on her face. "Are you still mad about earlier? Misaka asks as Misaka questioningly tilts her head."

"I – no, it's not like that..." the teenager muttered with averted eyes. He tried to erect his natural attitude of distance, but the feelings kept washing over him like a wave of cold.

_Don't give me those eyes_, he thought helplessly, with his barriers being gone, as he noticed how the worry in Last Order's expression increased.

_I don't want you to look at me like that. There is no need for you to worry about someone like me. To feel pity for someone who did what I did. No one would, and you're the last one who should._

The albino turned his head away from Last Order, obviously feeling disturbed. But Last Order could feel while looking at him that something was just different, and it made her worry even more.

"You look sick. Are you having a fever? Misaka asks as Misaka leans forward and puts a hand on Accelerator's forehead to feel his temperature."

As Last Order's soft skin touched his, Accelerator's heart suddenly throbbed against his chest and a ball of fire danced inside his stomach. He couldn't do anything but stand there in complete rigidity, staring at the girl in front of him. As his eyes were locked to hers, he saw the sincere worry in her eyes, paired with genuine care and affection, and Accelerator's entire body felt as if it was on fire when he was met by those feelings.

_Last Order... I'm not worthy of the look in your eyes.  
_  
"It's not unusually hot. If it's not an illness, might there be something else bothering you? You can tell Misaka, she's always there to listen to your troubles! Misaka says as Misaka tries to show Accelerator that she supports him no matter what," Last Order said with a big smile while letting her hand slide off Accelerator's front.

Suddenly, her hand was caught mid-air and the girl widened her eyes as she saw Accelerator holding onto it. He had lowered his head, hiding his eyes from the world, but Last Order was sure to see his shoulders slightly shaking.

"A-accelerator," she whispered surprised and leaned forward to get a better look at his face, but the teenager jerked his head away from her. Very slowly, he let go of her hand, but Last Order could feel a slight pressure just before he let go of her completely.

"Thanks." His voice was nothing but a whisper and Last Order could not believe her ears. She stared at the boy with wide eyes and silence hung between the two of them.

Slowly, Accelerator got his cane and walked past her.

"Accelerator, wait!" Last Order said as she broke out of her confusion and reached out with her hand to him. She felt how he was so close to opening up to her, and she refused to let go of the opportunity to get closer to him.

Surprisingly, the teenager stopped.

"It's nothing. I'm just... tired," Accelerator said with a soft voice. "There's nothing to worry about, Last Order."  
With these reassuring words, though they were unable to completely ease Last Order, the albino got into his room and let himself fall unto his bed.

He stared up to the ceiling with haunted eyes and he felt terribly sick. Opening up to someone, even if only that slightly, made him feel utterly uncomfortable.

But just the same, he felt that he owed it to Last Order to let her see what he felt. It was a difficult thing to do, and he balled his hand into a fist as he fought the urge to storm out and tear something apart. He hated feeling vulnerable, but the one thing he hated more than that was seeing Last Order sad or worried.

_I'm sorry, Last Order_, he thought with a sad expression. _I fear this is about as much as I can do right now. _He remembered the startled expression on her face when he had said 'Thanks'. It was one small word, yet it seemed to mean so much to her.

_How hard can it be... To spout out three other words? _He wondered, and just the mere thought of them made him feel even worse, and sickness rose up to his throat.

Before he could say the words Last Order was longing for, he first had to be able to admit his feelings to himself. After all, what good would it bring to say something he wouldn't mean?

With another tightening of his fist, Accelerator let out a sigh, releasing a single thought before erecting a barrier around himself once more; he had just given away too much on that day, probably even that entire month.

_Just wait for me, Last Order._


	6. Lost with You in the Here and Now

**A Certain Complex Feeling**

Chapter 6 ~ Lost with You in the Here and Now

* * *

A few days later, Last Order was walking through the corridors of her new school, the Nagatenjouki Academy situated in the school district 9. It was a highly prestigious school, rumored to even be the best in Academy City, but Last Order did not choose it for its prestige or highly advanced curriculum. The only reason she chose Nagatenjouki was because Accelerator had enrolled there too – though he had never once attended school and was only affiliated through the documents.

But Last Order didn't care about such a minor detail. She hummed happily while the principal of her school, Kasukabe Mei, showed her around. Whenever the principal turned her head towards the teenager, Last Order would send her either an excited smile or a studious nod, but her thoughts wandered about.

_How exciting would it be for Misaka and Accelerator to walk these corridors together, Misaka thinks as Misaka pictures an Accelerator wearing a school uniform._

A tiny chuckle escaped Last Order's lips, but she managed to suppress the childish smile before the principal could see it.

"Well, Misaka-san, we now arrived back at your classroom," Mei ended her final statement with a polite gesture towards the door.  
"The Nagatenjouki Academy is honored to welcome you as a new student and we're looking forward to your time at our school. We will support you and your studies in any way possible and we hope you'll bring honor to our facility with your efforts and intelligence."

"Thank you very much, Kasukabe-sensei," Last Order bowed graciously. "Misaka is looking forward to being a student of this school! Misaka says as Misaka shows her pride in being accepted to such a prestigious academy."

"I'm glad to hear that," Mei replied with a courtly smile, though Last Order's unusual speaking pattern disturbed her. But when she had been confronted with the girl's excellent test results from the mandatory tests at Nagatenjouki, she had had no other choice but to accept her. Even though both her speaking pattern and name were odd at least, Mei somehow felt she could place confidence in the girl in front of her – and Nagatenjouki's principal could always trust her intuition.

With a final nod, she left Last Order at the door to her homeroom class, and the principal's thoughts were already going back to business matters.  
Last Order bowed down deeply until her sensei was out of sight. Then she raised herself up and a big smile spread on her face.

_Today is Misaka's first day as a middle-schooler! _She thought excitedly and opened the door to her new class.

"I'm coming in! Misaka says as Misaka enters her new classroom," Last Order started off happily and walked up to the teacher who was just about to give the morning speech to his students. It was a man with a thin mouth and tired features, but his eyes, although gray, were full of warmth.

"Ah, right – Misaka-san, wasn't it?" He confirmed and implied a bow towards the teenager.

"I'm Sawako Yoshino, your homeroom teacher. If you'd stand by my side...  
Everyone, please listen up," Yoshino turned to the class as soon as Last Order had stepped up to his side. "This is Misaka Last Order, a student who has just transferred here. Just like all of you, she has excellent grades and will surely be a great contribution to our academy. I expect you to treat her with your usual kindness, as always.  
Misaka-san, would you like to introduce yourself?" He asked towards Last Order. At first, the girl blushed in a whiff of shyness, but then she smiled even brighter than before when she faced her new classmates.

"Hello everyone, this is Misaka Last Order!" She briefly bowed before her sparkling eyes went over the unfamiliar faces again.  
"Misaka is very excited to be working with you together this year and hopes we're going to have a lot of fun! Misaka says as Misaka introduces herself as friendly and honest as possible."

A murmur came back from her classmates while they shot glances towards each other.

"Why is she talking so weird?" Was one of the comments passed around.

An uncomfortable sensation arose inside Last Order's stomach, but she managed to fight back her nervousness at least on the surface.

_D-did Misaka mess up? Misaka worries as Misaka feels uneasy. But where? Was Misaka's short introduction not appropriate for a middle-schooler?_

The murmuring ceased eventually after a stern regard from Yoshino and all of her classmates gave Last Order slight smiles.

Suddenly, one girl got up from her seat with a big grin.  
"Welcome to class 3-1, Mi-chan!" She greeted Last Order brightly, her green eyes squished in a friendly way. "Let's have lots of fun together!"

The ball of worry inside Last Order's stomach untangled and she shot the girl with the short blond hair a sympathetic smile.

Yoshino seemed to be pleased by the turn of the events as well and gave Last Order an encouraging nod.  
"How about you take a seat next to Iki-san, then?" He asked and pointed to the empty seat and table next to the blonde.

Last Order didn't hesitate. With a hasty, yet elegant nod and bow, she turned away from her teacher and took a seat. Trying to be a good student, she unpacked her bag and concentrated on her teacher's speech. But then, a tiny note was slipped over to her.

Last Order looked up surprised to see the blonde winking at her with a grin before she put her attention back to Yoshino's talk.

Last Order, however, unfolded the note.  
"_Nice meeting you, Mi-chan! Yui here! Let's have lunch together today, 'kay?"_

A slight chuckle escaped Last Order's lips before she passed the note back, having written, _"Yeah, let's! Misaka replies as Misaka is looking forward to lunch!"_ beneath it.

* * *

"Oh my, if Sawa-sensei wasn't such a nice guy, I'd probably sleep throughout his entire class," Yui yawned as soon as Yoshino had left the classroom. With a bright smile, she turned to Last Order.

"Say, Mi-chan, what do you think?"  
"M-mi-chan? Misaka echoes surprised as Misaka wonders about that unusual address."  
"Oh, you don't like it?" Yui asked, her voice a little less energetic. "I just thought that 'Last Order-chan' is awfully long for a nickname, so I took the beginning of your last name for it."

Finally realizing the friendliness of her classmate, Last Order quickly shook her head and smiled widely.  
"Oh, no, Misaka really likes this nickname! Misaka just didn't know why she was called like that, since she's never had a nickname before, Misaka explains as Misaka is happy about finally having a nickname."

"Never had a nickname before!?" Now, Yui's voice was back to being fully energetic, while she acted shocked. "Oh, poor Mi-chan, for what a boring life ye must hath lived!" She lamented and took Last Order's hand as if she sat at her deathbed, causing the brunette to laugh.

"You're funny, Yui-chan, Misaka says as Misaka tries out calling someone else with a nickname."  
Slightly worried and wondering, Yui slanted her head. "Seriously, where are you from, not being used to nicknames? Did you call all your previous friends just by their normal names? How boring."  
Last Order only gave her classmate a smile as she unpacked her lunch, some simple rice with octopus-shaped sausages, and suddenly, Yui was distracted from the nickname-topic.

"Wow, octopus-shaped! Did your mom make this for you? Must be nice," Yui reveled enviously and Last Order speared one sausage with her fork and held it over to Yui.

"Here, have a bite! Misaka offers as Misaka feels happy she can bring a friend happiness with such a simple dish."

"Are you sure?" Yui asked, but she already opened her mouth and took the sausage.  
"Oh my, so delicious!" She munched.

Last Order grinned. "Misaka is happy you like it. Misaka can prepare some for you tomorrow as well if you like? Misaka proposes as Misaka imagines herself preparing food for someone else."  
"I'm not gonna be stupid and deny that offer," Yui gave her classmate a thumbs up before she took out her own lunch box.

Another smile spread on Last Order's face and while she engaged in chatter with Yui, she felt completely comfortable in her own skin.

_See, Accelerator? Misaka has already found a friend! Misaka thinks as Misaka plans on telling Accelerator later._

* * *

A few hours later, the school day was over and Last Order and Yui were exiting the academy side by side.

"This math homework is going to kill me," Yui complained with a pained expression.  
"Can't you help me out here, Mi-chan?"

"Of course, Yui-chan, Misaka agrees as Misaka is looking forward to be working with Yui-chan," Last Order smiled and the blonde pushed her hands in the air.

"Yay! Then, can we go over to your place?" Yui asked when she suddenly stopped surprised.

"Oi, who's that gloomy guy there?" She whispered towards Last Order and pointed to the entrance of the school.

Last Order turned her head, though she already had a feeling whom Yui might be talking about.

Her hunch was right; it was Accelerator in his usual gray, white and black attire, and his red eyes resembled a predator's.

"It's Accelerator! Misaka says as Misaka waves to Accelerator," Last Order called out loud enough for the albino to hear.

He jerked his head towards her direction and seemed to ease up a little upon seeing her. The boy even nodded slightly as their eyes met, then he turned towards her, waiting for her to come to his side.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Yui asked as the two girls walked up to Accelerator, until suddenly a look of feigned shock adorned her face.

"Or could he be your _boyfriend_? Oh Mi-chan, I didn't know you were that type of girl!"

"Y-Yui-chan!" Last Order protested and turned bright red. "Accelerator isn't Misaka's boyfriend, Misaka says as Misaka feels a tingling sensation in her stomach at the thought."  
"Oh, a tingling sensation, huh?" Yui echoed with a mischievous grin and Last Order turned even redder.

"F-forget that, Yui-chan! Misaka says as Misaka feels really uncomfortable," she waved with her arms and the blonde laughed.  
"I'm just teasing you, Mi-chan," she nudged the brunette just before they arrived by Accelerator.

The albino examined Yui with his cold eyes, but while any other person would have been intimidated by his looks, Yui shot him a grin.  
"Yo, Accel-kun!"

"Accel-kun?" Accelerator echoed surprised with a hint of consternation, but before he could say something inappropriate, Last Order pushed herself forward.

"Hey, Accelerator, what are you doing here? Misaka asks as Misaka wonders."

"What do you think? Picking you up," he answered briefly.

"Is he your guardian?" Yui now asked towards Last Order with a played whisper and the brunette showed a smile.

"No, Accelerator is Misaka's friend. We're living together, but Misaka doesn't know why Accelerator would feel the need for picking her up from school, Misaka adds as Misaka indirectly asks Accelerator for his appearance."

The albino stiffened up as if he was caught at something he'd rather hide.  
"Yomikawa said I should," he answered with feigned annoyance. "She was getting on my nerves, so I decided to rather pick you up than listening to her blabbering. Got a problem with that?"

Last Order shook her head.  
"No, Misaka is happy! Misaka says as Misaka words her happiness from seeing Accelerator," she replied with such a bright smile that, just for a second, Accelerator's pale cheeks showed the hint of a red. But Last Order was too caught up in her own jolly feelings than to notice it, and Accelerator was quick to put up a mask of indifference.

Yui, however, seemed to be a lot sharper than Last Order concerning that topic, and she wrote a mental note to herself to inform Last Order of Accelerator's expression at a later time.

"Oh!" Last Order suddenly remembered and took Yui's arm.

"Accelerator, this is Yui-chan, Misaka's first friend at this school! Misaka says as Misaka introduces Yui-chan. Would it be alright for Yui-chan to come with us? Misaka asks as Misaka hopes for a positive answer."

Another examining regard from Accelerator's side, then the albino muttered, "I don't care. Let's just get going, I'm hungry."  
"You're hungry?" Last Order asked surprised and now held on to Accelerator's arm. "Are you alright, Accelerator? You're never hungry, Misaka adds as Misaka displays her doubt of Accelerator's honesty."

Once more, a slight flush appeared on Accelerator's face and his eyes quickly darted down to Last Order's chest which was pressed against his arm. Then, he cleared his throat as he averted his eyes from her.

"Yeah, I'm hungry. So what? Sheesh, stop annoying me like that, brat," he said, freeing his arm of her grip.

Last Order seemed to be taken aback at first, but then she smiled and pat Accelerator on the back.  
"In this case, why don't we eat out? Aiho won't be back until tonight, so she gave Misaka some money for food. You're invited too, Yui-chan! Misaka adds as Misaka already picks a restaurant in her head."

"Count me in!" Yui enthusiastically replied and together, the three teenagers made their way to the nearest restaurant.

* * *

"This was so delicious! Misaka says as Misaka pats her full stomach," Last Order fancied as they exited the restaurant.

"Right? If I eat even one other bite, then... boom!" Yui agreed and made an exploding sound, causing Last Order to laugh.

By now, the sun was high up in the sky and it was extremely warm. The girls were fairly lucky with their short summer uniforms, but Accelerator, who refused to wear something else than his light sweater and long jeans, was feeling almost ill, and he brushed over his sweaty neck.

"Tch. That's why I hate summer," he mumbled to himself.

"Well, if you think it's hot, then maybe you should have worn the tee Misaka bought you the other day, Misaka says as Misaka reminds Accelerator of her gift," Last Order suggested with a grin.

Accelerator's expression seemed to distort in disgust as he clearly remembered the 'Beachboy' tee. After escaping from the mall that one day, he had buried it so deep in his closet that it was certain said clothing item would never see the light again.

"I don't recall asking you for such a..." he started aggravated, but in the last moment, he managed to stop himself from saying something insulting and instead just finished with a simple, "...tee."

"Well, that's what friends are for! Misaka replies as Misaka fans herself some cool air."

Yui leaned forward. "It's really hot today, isn't it? Pretty unusual for a day in April. Hey, how about we go to a swimming pool?" She suddenly suggested with sparkling eyes.

At first, Last Order's face lit up in happiness, but then she remembered Accelerator behind her and her face turned apologetic.

"Misaka would love to, but Misaka is sure Accelerator won't-"  
"Yeah, let's!" Accelerator broke in with a somewhat maniacal expression.

"Eh!?" Last Order jumped back in disbelief. She stared at Accelerator, whose features were unusually lively, especially considering his normal attitude.

A grin formed on Accelerator's face as he turned to Last Order.

"Let's go, Last Order!" He said once more with emphasis and even went so far to place a hand on her shoulder.

His grin was almost hypnotizing and before she could think about it, Last Order nodded.

"Then it's settled!" Yui nodded satisfied. "I have to go home to grab my swimsuit, so how about we just meet up at Aqua Edge in an hour?"  
Aqua Edge was the biggest swimming pool in Academy City. Several different sized pools, chutes and diving platforms offered any pleasure imaginable.

Last Order had dreamed of going there, but she always thought Accelerator would turn her plead down.

_Looks like Misaka was totally wrong, Misaka thinks as Misaka sees Accelerator still happily grinning, _the girl thought to herself.

"But Yui-chan, what about your math homework? Misaka asks as Misaka-"  
"Screw math homework!" Yui brushed the topic aside. "I can do my homework whenever I want, but going to the swimming pool with such nice weather – Mi-chan, this is a one in a billion chance!" She exaggerated.

"The weather forecast is awesome today as well." Without waiting for Last Order to reply, the energetic girl went on, halfway turned, "I slipped you my number earlier, so if something happens, just call me. Bye!" And with that, Yui sped off.

"Bye, Yui-chan, Misaka mumbles to herself as Misaka watches Yui-chan running off," Last Order waved her friend goodbye before she turned to Accelerator.

The albino was still grinning, though not as maniacally as before. His red eyes seemed to be set on fire and even when they met Last Order's, they didn't lose anything of their anticipation.

"Let's get home, Last Order," the boy ordered. "We gotta pack our stuff."

A matter of minutes later, the two of them were home and were stuffing their bag with towels, water and a change of clothes.

"Don't forget the sunscreen, Accelerator! Misaka lectures Accelerator as Misaka sees he had removed it from the bag despite Misaka putting it in there earlier," Last Order said as she was looking over Accelerator's shoulder.

But the teenager only shook his head. "I don't need it. _Deflection_, remember?" He joked with curled lips as he tapped against his head (blocking the sun rays was one of the few features constantly active, even in his normal mode.)

_Did he just joke!? _Last Order thought with wide eyes. _Accelerator has never, ever made a joke! Misaka thought Accelerator wouldn't even know what a joke is! Misaka thinks as Misaka is truly suspicious of Accelerator right now._

"Still," the girl pouted and tossed a bottle of sunscreen into the bag. "Misaka needs some sunscreen, so leave it there, okay? Misaka says as Misaka reminds Accelerator of having a unique ability."

"Ah, that might be true," Accelerator mumbled to himself as he zipped the bag and hung it over his shoulder.  
"That should be done now, so let's go."  
"O-okay, Misaka agrees as Misaka is not used to Accelerator taking the lead in outdoor activities, or activities in general."

Now, for the first time since the word 'swimming pool' had been dropped, did the boy turn his head to her with slightly less enthusiastic eyes.

"What are you mumbling about, brat?"  
"Oh, it's nothing!" Last Order was quick to shake her head. "Misaka just didn't know you like swimming pools that much. You should have told Misaka sooner, Misaka would've loved to go swimming with you! Misaka says as Misaka is slightly miffed about Accelerator for never telling her."

Accelerator kept looking at her as he shrugged his shoulders. "You never asked."

"What!? Misaka snarls as Misaka -" Last Order huffed annoyed when she suddenly saw the sparkle of amusement in his eyes. She gulped down whatever she intended to say and just smiled towards the boy.

"Whatever, let's get going! Misaka proposes as Misaka is really looking forward to going to the pool."

Together, the two arrived at the entrance of Aqua Edge. It was an entirely open-air bath, with the sum of three hectare water area and another three hectare of grassy area surrounding it. Laughter and screams of joy were carried to them by a gentle breeze along with the unmistakable scent of chlorine.

Accelerator's face brightened up and he closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply.  
Last Order leaned forward, and a smile formed on her face as she saw his happiness.

_If Misaka would've known you love swimming pools that much, Misaka would have taken you out a dozen times, Misaka thinks as Misaka decides to invite Accelerator out frequently from now on._

"Hey you two!" Yui called from behind as she ran up to them.

"Did I make you wait?"

Last Order shook her head. "No, you didn't, Yui-cha-"  
"What took you so long? Hurry up," Accelerator broke in, already standing at the counter and paying for his admission.

The two girls looked at each other slightly confused, then they giggled and followed the albino.

Neither of them bothered to search for a place to lie down, for Accelerator had already thrown a big towel into the grass closest to the first pool (some people had been sitting there before, but one sharp glance out of his red eyes, and they suddenly grabbed their things to search for a different spot.)  
Accelerator tossed their bag and his cane beneath the towel and with a swift movement took his shirt off.

This was the moment Last Order had been dreading ever since they decided to go swimming.  
Surely, she had seen him in nothing but underwear a few times already, but that had been _before_ her transformation, and the eyes of a child held a different focus than the eyes of a teenager.

At first, the girl averted her eyes from Accelerator, but then, she slightly shook her head.

_You've got to be kidding, Misaka! It's not like Accelerator is naked or anything. And we're at a swimming pool – it's only natural. There's nothing to be embarrassed about! Misaka tells herself as Misaka feels a tingling in her stomach and hears her heart beating fast._

Determined, the girl gulped and turned her head to Accelerator, who had put on hand on his hips as he looked over the varieties of pools.

While he certainly looked as to be expected, he didn't exactly look like Last Order had secretly hoped after watching countless teenage movies.

His chest and back were just as pale as the rest of his skin, to the point where one could see his blue veins underneath it. And only with force could Last Order replace the 'skinny and bony' in her head with a 'slender and trim' when she tried to name his appearance, though truthfully, he looked as if the slightest breeze might cause him to fall apart.

Looking at him, no one would have guessed he was the most powerful esper in Academy City.

As if he felt her staring at him, Accelerator turned his head to Last Order – and his face was so bright with a wide grin that Last Order's lips curled up to a smile.

_Who cares? _She thought to herself as she took of her shoes and clothing (just like Accelerator, she had put on her swimwear back home already.)

_Why would it matter if he's muscular or skinny, tanned or pale? Accelerator is Accelerator – and as long as he's so happy, Misaka has every reason to be happy as well, Misaka thinks as Misaka feels her heart almost overflowing with happiness for Accelerator._

"Cute outfit, Mi-chan!" Yui complimented Last Order as she walked up to the brunette, herself wearing a simple striped bikini.

"You think so? Thank you, Yui-chan! Misaka says as Misaka acts a bit embarrassed," Last Order thanked her friend for the compliment as she tucked the straps of her brown and crème colored, dotted bikini, which was adorned with a ribbon between her breasts.

"Well then, what are we gonna do first, Mi-chan – tanning or having fun in the water?" Yui asked as she sat down on the towel.

"Tch. Isn't that obvious?" Accelerator answered in Last Order's stead and pointed towards a giant, red painted chute with countless turns. His eyes were sparkling brightly in anticipation, a great contrast to his usual indifference to any kind of activity. In fact, it almost seemed as if he had become a different person altogether ever since the swimming pool had been mentioned, and there naturally was a reason for that.

On the one hand, he just felt extremely _free_ in the water and in free fall. He enjoyed the feeling of adrenaline rushing through his body without tearing someone apart as well as the possibility of clearing his mind while rushing through endless turning chutes.

On the other hand, he had always had fun using his ability to manipulate the water around him – and around other people as well. It was a childish pleasure, and if anyone would've ever confronted him about it directly, he would've denied it with his usual indifference. But over the years, Accelerator had linked 'swimming pools' to his only form of happiness or leisure, and thus even the mention of such was enough to put him in a better mood.

And even while his latter pleasure would be strongly limited due to his injury, he would still be able to enjoy the former relatively normally – thanks to most of his otherwise hindering weight and pressure would be carried by the water supporting him.

"Come on Last Order, let's go!" Accelerator ordered and took the girl, who had just been in the process of sitting down, by her elbow and dragged her along.

"What? Wait, Accelerator, Misaka wants to tan first -," the girl started protesting, but Accelerator wouldn't even listen to her. Obviously hindered without the help of his crutch, though determined to not allowing it to affect him, he limped to the chute and pulled Last Order in front of him.  
"Go first," he commanded with an almost polite gesture.

"B-but..." Last Order started nervously as she clung unto the rail of the stairs.

"Could it be you don't know how to swim?" Yui walked up from behind, an amused sparkle in her eyes as she observed the scene.

Suddenly, Last Order turned bright red. "O-of course Misaka knows how to swim! Misaka says as Misaka climbs the stairs to prove it!"  
It was a long staircase – long enough for Last Order to regret her previous statement.

_Certainly, swimming is one of the programs that Misaka has learned through the _Testament_, Misaka thinks as Misaka looks down the chute. Misaka has never heard of any Misaka having difficulties with swimming. It surely isn't that different from swimming in the bath tub, right? Misaka thinks as Misaka reassures herself._

Last Order looked warily over her shoulder. Right behind her stood Accelerator with an impatient expression, his fingers drumming on the rails, and Yui was next to him, wearing an encouraging smile or grin – Last Order had quickly realized that Yui's grin and smile would fade into each other fairly easily, just like her own.

The brunette gulped and secured her hair tie, then she grabbed the metal bar over the hole of the chute and with a little jump, she pushed herself into it.

The supporting water was cold against her hot skin, but Last Order didn't pay much attention to it – she was busy with somehow keeping her balance between a number of turns. Eventually, she was sliding down head first, but thanks to flawless craftsmanship, the material of the chute wouldn't hurt her skin, it wouldn't even get uncomfortably hot through the friction.

After her initial shock and disorientation, Last Order felt adrenaline rushing through her body and she let out a scream of joy at the next turn. She raised herself up a little to sit on her knees, her fingers slid through the water rushing alongside her and she screamed out once more.

"This is fuuuuuuun! Misaka yells as Misaka rushes through the chute!"

The chute seemed to be endless, but after a while, Last Order could see the white crest of splashing water awaiting her at the end.

_Oh right, the water -! _The girl managed to think, then she fell right into the waves and while she had been able to overlook the small runlet of water in the chute, the cold that now enclosed her completely could not be ignored. The air was pressed out of Last Order's lungs and for a second, her body was completely immobilized.

_Swimming... _She thought and tried to remember what she had learned during her development. _For swimming, Misaka has to..._

But she didn't have a clue. Either, there had been an error in her development, or swimming had been intentionally excluded from her training - Last Order had no idea what to do. She helplessly paddled with her arms and feet and managed to break through the surface.

Gasping for air, she frantically turned her head, but before she could call out for help, she lost control again, and her fearful eyes suddenly saw the light of the sun dimmed through a layer of water.

Just in that second, Accelerator shot out of the chute. He wore a big grin as he felt his weight being carried by the water, supporting him just as he had expected, when suddenly, Yui's hollering voice reached him.

"Mi-chan! Oh god, Mi-chan!"

In less than a heartbeat, Accelerator stiffened up and he jerked his head to every side until he saw Last Order's head breaking through the water once again.

"Last Order!" He yelled out and swam towards her while the brunette sank once more. After taking a hasty breath, Accelerator dived down, increasing his speed until he could wrap his arms around her waist, and while her weight was next to non-existent in the water, his own capability of pulling her was diminished as well, not to mention his decreased mobility from his injury.

_You've gotta be shitting me! _Accelerator thought angrily as he reached his hand to his choker. _As if I'd let you drown!_

A flick of his finger, and he felt the esper mode almost overwhelming him with power. He didn't need to even think as he tightened his grip around the slowly fainting Last Order and changed the directions of the water vectors around and beneath him. As quick as an arrow, both he and Last Order darted out of the water and with another command, this time to the vectors of the air, he pushed themselves forward until they were beyond the pool. A fall from several meters high was no challenge for his ability, only the ground received a crumbled dent from the impact.

"Last Order?" He shook the girl in his arms, his voice louder and harsher than usual. Another shake, and this time, Last Order opened her eyes fluttering. She started to cough, and Accelerator eased up.

_Thank you, lady luck, god, or whoever's out there – she's not hurt_, he thought relieved as he walked to their towel to carefully let the girl down.

"Oh, Mi-chan!" Yui ran up to them with a worried face.  
"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Misaka says as Misaka has a tight throat from drinking too much water," Last Order replied as she worked up a smile, and Yui let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness! You shocked me there, Mi-chan – why didn't you tell us you can't swim!?" She added after she caught her breath, her eyebrows furrowed in light anger.

Last Order averted her eyes embarrassed. "Misaka didn't know. Misaka was sure she knew how to swim, Misaka says as Misaka defends herself."  
Once more, Yui shook her head. "Seriously. You were so lucky Accel-kun was down there already! By the way," she added as she turned her head to the albino who briefly dried his hair with a towel, "that was quite an awesome ability there, Accel-kun! I've never seen anything like that before. What level?"

Accelerator didn't even bother to look up as he answered, "Level 5."  
"Seriously!?" Yui jumped back in surprise and stared at the boy with wide eyes. "Wow! So that's the capability of a level 5! So lucky to have you here!" The blonde shot a smile towards Accelerator before she squatted beneath her friend, displaying her unique indifference about abnormalities of any kind once again.

"Do you need something to drink or eat, Mi-chan? I know that_ I_ need some food after this shock," she added encouragingly, to which Last Order faintly nodded.

"Uhm, yes, maybe something small to eat and drink would be nice, Misaka says as Misaka accepts Yui-chan's friendly offer."

Yui pushed herself off the ground.

"Alrighty. How about you, Accel-kun? Nothing?" She confirmed after Accelerator shook his head, then she shrugged her shoulders. "Well then, I'm off for a sec!"

Last Order kept looking at her friend until the girl was out of sight, then her eyes wandered over to Accelerator. Carefully, she raised herself up to sit on her knees.

"Misaka is sorry, Accelerator," she started with a lowered head. "Misaka should have told you she doesn't know how to swim. Misaka had placed faith in the education via the _Testament_ during her development, without trying it out. Misaka is really thankful you saved her just now, Misaka says as Misaka bows to properly display her honest thankfulness for her rescue."

Accelerator turned to the brunette, and after a second of thought, he let out a distressed sigh.

"It's nothing," he mumbled and averted his eyes.

"Then... can you teach Misaka how to swim? Misaka asks as Misaka dares to ask a favor from Accelerator," Last Order lifted her head to look at him.  
The albino sighed once more and scratched his head. "Yeah, yeah, I'll teach you," he agreed as he laid back.

"Seriously? Thank you, Accelerator! Misaka thanks as Misaka is looking forward to learning how to swim!"  
Then, the girl laid down as well, looking up at the cloudless sky. She reached out with her hand to it and felt deeply satisfied to see the hand of a teenager spread out.

* * *

Two hours later, Accelerator was once again trying to teach Last Order the concept of swimming.

"You have to move your arms and feet simultaneously," he said for what felt like the thousandth time.

"L-like this? Misaka asks as Misaka tries to employ Accelerator's advice."  
"Got nothing to do with advice," the albino grumbled with furrowed brows. "It's how you swim."

His red eyes watched carefully over Last Order's movement as they stood in the hip-deep water.  
After some paddling tries, Last Order managed to synchronize the movement of her arms and legs and her face brightened up in happiness.

"Misaka's swimming! Do you see that, Accelerator, Misaka is swimming! Misaka calls as Misaka turns her head to-blrrrlb-" The rest of her sentence was drowned by the water that swashed into her mouth.

"Sheesh, concentrate on swimming," Accelerator lectured as he placed his hands on her hips to stabilize her.

He felt an unfamiliar warmth rising inside him as he touched her skin, but Accelerator's face didn't show any of his unusual feelings.

"S-sorry. Misaka doesn't want to ruin your fun in the swimming pool, Misaka says as Misaka realizes she completely occupies Accelerator," Last Order apologized with a depressed pout.

"Then hurry up and learn how to swim already," Accelerator commanded as he took a step back.

Actually, he didn't mind teaching her at all. Even though Last Order was constantly around him at home, they hadn't been this close for a long time – if ever. And despite him trying to deny it, he enjoyed spending time with her.

But Accelerator wouldn't be Accelerator if he'd admit that to her so upright. Still, he couldn't help but slightly smile upon watching her efforts.

"You're doing great, Mi-chan!" Yui cheered for her friend from the side. Her feet were dangling in the water and she was eating a big ice cream cone.

Upon seeing the sweet, Last Order's eyes turned big. "Accelerator..." She started as she turned her head to the albino.

"Again!?" The boy asked bewildered. "That's the third break you're taking for eating ice cream. Seriously, do you even try?" He muttered annoyed.

"Misaka does!" Last Order insisted and walked up to Accelerator. "Misaka really does try learning how to swim! It's just really tiring and difficult, you know that, Misaka says as Misaka hopes to remind Accelerator of the times when he learned to swim."  
"As with most people here, that time is so far back in the past that I _can't_ remember," Accelerator replied condescendingly.

Last Order muttered something inaudible before she turned away.

"Anyway, Misaka will get herself some ice cream. Does Accelerator want some too? Misaka asks as Misaka makes an offer."  
"Like the last two times, no," the albino sighed as he started walking into deeper water. "I haven't come here for eating shit."  
Last Order stuck out her tongue at Accelerator before she turned away.

"Wait, Mi-chan!" Yui called out for her friend and ran after her.  
"Is something wrong, Yui-chan? Misaka asks as Misaka partly debates about which flavor she should get."

"You seem to be getting along pretty well with Accel-kun," Yui started teasingly, and a devilish smile appeared on her face as she saw Last Order blush. "Are you _sure_ you're not a couple after all?

"Really, Yui-chan, stop it!" Last Order flushed bright red. "Misaka told you, Accelerator doesn't think that way of Misaka, Misaka says as Misaka repeats herself."  
"Oh, so _you_ think of him that way?" Yui jumped at the opportunity and barely held back a giggle when Last Order turned even redder.

"N-no, that's not -! It's just... er, well, maybe, Misaka says as Misaka doesn't want to lie to her new friend," she finally mumbled so quietly Yui had difficulties hearing it.

"I knew it!" Yui triumphed grinning.

"But that doesn't matter!" Last Order shook her head heavily. "Misaka doesn't know much of these feelings yet... But Misaka knows that Accelerator doesn't think of her that way, so it'd be futile for Misaka to give these feelings more thought... Misaka says as Misaka..." The girl left her sentence unfinished and hung her head down sadly.

Yui leaned forward and pat her friend on the shoulder. "Well, _I_ know he might just think about you like that."  
Questioningly, Last Order raised her head. "What..?"

Yui winked. "I've seen some pretty obvious signs from his side already – and I've only met him today! He really cares for you, Mi-chan," she added with a slightly more gentle voice and a warm smile. "You shouldn't run away from it just because you're unsure about his feelings. You need to take action!"

"You may say that, but..." Last Order started, remembering the day she had kissed him. Even though she had told him that what she did had been wrong, she was hurt by his immediate rejection.

_Besides... Misaka has promised Accelerator not to annoy him with that topic anymore. Misaka can't just ask him once more what he feels... And how else is Misaka supposed to learn about his true feelings? Misaka thinks as Misaka feels helpless._

But she didn't voice any of her thoughts to Yui. It would require a lot of explanation – about Accelerator and herself. So Last Order just smiled towards Yui and nodded.

"Maybe you're right. Misaka... shouldn't let go of hope, right? Misaka says as Misaka decides to keep fighting." The words echoed inside her mind and while the pain of doubt struck through her chest, a tiny door inside her opened and allowed hope to enter.

In the meantime, Accelerator was floating with closed eyes. He enjoyed feeling the slight vibrations from the water and with each passing minute, the grin on his face widened. It was almost like a trance to him and when the feelings inside him built up, Accelerator opened his eyes to scan the swimming pool for the highest and longest chute.

He quickly found it, and his grin spread even wider as he pushed himself out of the water, making his way to said chute. After climbing it, Accelerator took a moment to take in the view from this height, then he jumped into the chute, rushing through it while standing hunched over, and the chute reproduced his maniac laugh to sound over the entire swimming pool.

Accelerator dashed out of the chute with high speed, performing a simple twist dive before he landed in the secure embrace of the water.

His grin was almost glued to his face, his eyes were spraying sparks, and the people seeing him exiting one of the pools took a few steps away from him.

_Yeah, just look at me like that_, he thought as he bathed both in the stares and in the warm sunlight for a second.

_Bet that's your highlight for the day, eh, shitheads? Man, going swimming really is best! It'd be even better if I could do some of those cool tricks I used to do with _Deflection_, but whatever..._

A slight laugh escaped Accelerator's lips as he turned away from the chute to go back to the towel to take a quick sip. Halfway there, he caught a glimpse of Last Order and as a matter of habit, he turned his head to see whether she was alright or not.

She was certainly alright, but he still didn't like what he saw.

Last Order was sitting on a bench, next to a guy with gelled, bleached hair, whom she shot her cheerful smile.

"Misaka didn't know that working at a retail could be so much fun, Misaka says as Misaka feels interest in learning more about Kugimiya-kun's job."  
"It's not that special, though, Misaka-san," the guy replied with a friendly laugh.

Last Order shook her head. "Misaka thinks it's really interesting! Misaka doesn't know anyone who works part-time after school. Maybe Misaka should work part-time, as well? Misaka asks as Misaka thinks about that possibility and finds it highly interesting!"  
"Well, if you're interested, I could ask my boss if he'd have a workplace for you," Kugimiya offered and Last Order's face lit up.

"Really? That'd be awesome, Kugimiya-kun! But Misaka doesn't know whether Misaka is cut out for working at a retail, Misaka adds as Misaka feels a bit self-conscious."

Kugimiya leaned forward with sincere eyes. "I'm sure you'd be great! You're a really friendly and nice, intelligent girl, and..." Now, the boy made a shy pause, but he mustered his courage and continued, "and you're really good looking, too! There is no place you couldn't work at!"  
Last Order blushed surprised and flattered, then a warm smile appeared on her face.

"That is so nice of you, Kugimiya-kun! Misaka is -" She interrupted herself and looked behind Kugimiya with a questioning expression.

The boy turned his head to see a certain skinny teenager with white hair.

"Oi, dumb fuck," Accelerator glared down on him. "Piss off."

Kugimiya frowned disturbed and Last Order wondered aloud, "Accelerator?"

"Do you know this rude person, Misaka-san?" Kugimiya asked Last Order, to which the girl nodded.

"This is Accelerator. What's the matter? Misaka asks towards Accelerator as Misaka is displeased about the disturbance and hopes to properly display her feelings through her voice."

Accelerator stiffened up at Last Order's harsh tone, but otherwise ignored her.

"Are you deaf? I told ya to piss off," he repeated with a threatening voice.

With a sigh, Kugimiya stood up to be on eye level with Accelerator – a futile endeavor, for the albino was a full head shorter than he was.  
"Listen, I don't know what business you have with Misaka-san, but judging from your attitude, you're no one worth her time. I'd like to ask you politely: Leave us alone."

Accelerator twitched at Kugimiya's words and balled his hand into a fist.  
"I don't need a shithead telling me what to do," he spat out. He reached his hand to his choker with furrowed brows while anger ran through him.

_Who does that fucktard think he is!?How does he even dare flirt with Last Order like that?_

In front of Accelerator's mind's eye, he once again saw Kugimiya awkwardly complimenting Last Order and – even worse – the blush on her cheeks before she accepted his compliment.

_He's making me sick! No one's allowed to talk to her like that! Especially not some weak, brainless shit like you!  
_The esper clenched his teeth as a fit of jealousy occupied his mind, and he was ready to turn on the switch to teach this guy a lesson. But suddenly, Last Order was standing in front of Kugimiya.

"Stop it, Accelerator! Misaka doesn't want you to fight, Misaka says as Misaka has a bad feeling about this."  
Accelerator stared at her with ferocious eyes. He grunted and grabbed her arm.  
"We're leaving," he ordered.  
"But Misaka doesn't want to leave, Misaka wants to stay with Kugimiya-kun, Misaka says as Misaka pastes her feet to the ground so Accelerator can't pull her away."

Accelerator immediately stopped walking and turned his head towards the girl. "You want to stay with that fuckstick?" He asked incredulously.

"Don't call him that! Misaka was having a really good time with Kugimiya-kun and Misaka doesn't want it to end yet, Misaka says as Misaka throws her hair back in an attempt to appear more decisive."

"As you can see, your presence here is unwanted – as to be expected from a girl like Misaka-san," Kugimiya concluded.

"What did you just say!?" Accelerator flared.

"It's a shame I have to spell it out to you like that," Kugimiya started, more mumbling to himself than anything else. "Misaka-san is a beautiful girl with a wonderful personality. Naturally, she doesn't want to concern herself with someone of the likes of you. If you can't understand that, let me say it like so: She's way out of your league."

A cold shock went through Accelerator's being. He stared wide-eyed at the blond guy as sickness began building inside his stomach.

_W-what..? _He could only think dumbfounded.

The albino was unsure how to react to that statement – mostly because he felt as if he'd been frozen. They were only the words of a stranger, but they had managed to hit the one spot he himself was insecure about.

"You shitty..." Accelerator grumbled indecisively, only causing Kugimiya to let out a sigh.

"How come that worthless guys like you are always attracted to the most wonderful girls?" He asked rhetorically before brushing through his hair. "I mean, I guess I understand. Scum is always drawn to the sparkle of the pure. But still, can't you tell that Misaka-san would be defiled by your presence if you get too close? If not for the sake of knowing your place, at least refrain from disturbing her for her reputation and purity."

Another shock went through Accelerator, a foul taste developing in his mouth, and just as he was about to either shout Kugimiya down or tear him apart using _Deflection_, his hand was suddenly grasped by one much softer than his.

Confused, the esper blinked to see that Last Order had taken his hand. Her eyes were fierce and angry, but her sparks weren't coming his way.

"Misaka will be leaving now! Misaka declares as Misaka feels furious about Kugimiya-kun's lack of manners."

At first, the boy was confounded, but he caught himself quick enough and stammered, "B-but why, Misaka-san? This guy has been so crude and -"  
"Accelerator is Misaka's best friend!" Last Order interrupted him harshly and she unconsciously squeezed Accelerator's hand. "Misaka won't allow anyone to say such rude and fictitious things about her friends, so Misaka will be leaving now, Misaka says as Misaka states her opinion and walks away, unwilling to spending time with Kugimiya-kun anymore."  
And with that, the brunette turned away and pulled Accelerator with her, completely ignoring the sputtering of the guy behind them.

While walking back to their towel, Last Order sneakily turned her head to look at Accelerator, her face full of worry. She wouldn't have said it out loud, but just for a second had she seen a pained expression on his face. It was rare enough of an occasion already, and it surprised her even more to realize that he was actually hurt by the words of a complete stranger.

Just in that moment was she trying to figure out why he had been so hit by that specific comment, so in her head, she went back to the scene to analyze Kugimiya's sentence.

_Kugimiya-kun had said that Misaka was 'out of Accelerator's league'_, she remembered, and it took her a few seconds to translate that saying into something that made sense to her.

_Was he trying to say that Misaka was.. too good for Accelerator? _It was a thought she could not quite follow, for she had never looked down on Accelerator.

_He must've meant that, Misaka concludes as Misaka remembers a TV show where something similar to this has been said._

The guy in said TV show had been seriously offended by that comment, too, because he was in love with the girl in question. And this conclusion brought up yet another thought, a thought which made Last Order's face flush in a surprised red.

_D-does that mean Accelerator... Accelerator thinks of Misaka this way? Misaka thinks in conclusion as Misaka feels almost unable to believe it!  
_The girl squished her eyes a bit, as if she could read the answer to this question on Accelerator's face.

But the albino had already put up a mask of indifference again and he cocked an eyebrow at her as their eyes met.

Inside, however, his heart was throbbing so heavily against his chest he feared Last Order might hear it. All the anger and pain about Kugimiya's words had vanished and made place for only one sensation.

_Her hand is so soft, _Accelerator thought and a pleasant shiver went down his spine as he felt her fingers' close grip. As slightly as he could, though barely realizing it, he shifted the position of his fingers and Last Order's hand automatically moved along.

In that moment, both of them stopped walking and looked at each other more intensely, blushing as they realized that Last Order was no longer pulling Accelerator, but that they were _holding hands_.

Accelerator was feeling unusually hot, both inside and out, and at the back of his head, his conscience was commanding him to let go of Last Order's hand immediately, but he just couldn't take his eyes of her.  
Last Order's face flushed in an even deeper red, the longer they held on to each other like that.

"Accelerator," she started to whisper when suddenly...

"Mi-chan, Accel-kun!" Yui ran up to them with a bright smile which quickly turned into a teasing one upon seeing their joined hands. "Eh, am I interrupting something?"

As if bitten by a snake, Accelerator whipped his hand away from Last Order, but he couldn't suppress the hint of red on his cheeks, not with his pale skin.

Last Order's face was crimson by now and she raised her hand to her chest with insecurity, looking up at Accelerator with shy, fluttering eyes.

"Misaka is... Misaka will..." She mumbled indecisively and Accelerator could not help but stare at her from the corners of his eyes.  
His heart was still beating heavy and fast, and the albino took a controlled deep breath to calm himself, suppressing all thoughts currently trying to rise inside of him, rendering his mind nearly blank.

Yui, while watching the scene with amusement, decided that it was necessary to pull the two out of their rigidity.  
"Oh my, Mi-chan!" She started with a hand raised to her mouth, feigning surprise, but her devilish grin thwarted her otherwise flawless acting. "So this is what the two of you are all about!"

"I-it's not like that! Misaka and Accelerator aren't -!" Last Order started protesting, but just as she did, she realized that any other word would be a complete lie, and lying was not in her personality. Helplessly, she looked to either side and her eyes brushed over Accelerator. The blush that had just calmed down a little rose again and she quickly averted her eyes from the albino.

While Last Order started mumbling something again, only to be interrupted by a teasing Yui, Accelerator regained control of himself.

With a sigh, he turned around and put on his shirt.  
"What are you doing, Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka tries to ignore Yui-chan's teasing."

"Going home," the esper replied indifferently as he shouldered the bag and got his cane.

"Already? But Misaka wanted to stay a little longer, Misaka says as Misaka protests with a disappointed pout."  
Without a further comment, Accelerator pointed to Last Order's stuff lying on Yui's bag before he took his leave.  
Last Order stared after him for a few seconds, indecisive on how to react, but before she could say or think something, Yui took her hand to drag her to the pool.

"Well, poor Accel-kun is gonna miss out on our fun – though it looks like the two of you already were having lots of fun," Yui joked with a smile.

"Like Misaka said, it's not like that! Misaka protests as Misaka feels really embarrassed."  
"Yeah, yeah," Yui brushed Last Order's protest aside with a knowing smile.

"Now, how about I teach you some more swimming? If we put our efforts to it, you might ride another chute by tonight!"  
Last Order's face lit up in excitement, and she nodded so encouraged and happily that Yui had to chuckle.

Soon enough and thanks to Yui's efforts, Last Order's thoughts drifted away from Accelerator.

This certain albino, on the other hand, tried his best to shake off his irritating thoughts, but no matter how hard he tried, Last Order's face would re-appear inside his mind.

He remembered the blush on her cheeks and the feeling of his fingers interlocked with hers. While walking back home, he looked at his free hand with furrowed brows, as if Last Order's touch had left traces on his pale skin.

_Last Order_, her name slipped in his mind and he felt a prickling sensation in his stomach. Once more, he saw the surprised look on her face as they had held hands, her lips slightly opened, her eyes which had been locked to his, and he felt a desire he had never felt before.

What if he would have leaned forward? What if he would have closed that gap between them? She had been so close and her eyes had definitely brushed over his lips as they...

_**Smack!**_

Accelerator slapped himself.

_What kind of fucking thoughts are these!? _He thought irritated and shook his head, but the idea wouldn't disappear so easily.

With an almost guilty expression, he remembered how Kugimiya had said that Last Order was out of his league, that he wasn't the kind of guy to be close to her. Part of Accelerator thought it to be true.

But Last Order evidently thought otherwise.

_'My best friend' she said, huh? _Accelerator remembered confused. He entered the apartment and tossed the bag in a corner.

After lying down on his bed, Accelerator let out a distressed sigh. He did not feel ready for what had happened. Even the thought of him and her...  
Another _**smack!**_ A little harder this time, then Accelerator pulled the blankets over his head and curled up.

_What the fuck is wrong with me lately? The swimming pool must've gone to my head_, he tried to brush the topic away inside his head, but while the thoughts of Last Order slowly turned quiet, the feelings inside his heart wouldn't be so silent.


	7. Not Part of the Plan

**A Certain Complex Feeling**

Chapter 7 ~ Not Part of the Plan

* * *

"Let's watch this tonight! Misaka proposes as Misaka holds the printout in front of Accelerator's face!"

The albino Last Order was talking to opened his eyes from his nap. He shifted his comfortable position on the couch a little before he turned his head to said printout, only to shoot it a short glance before grumbling, "Huh?"

"This movie! Misaka repeats as Misaka points with her finger to the title to turn Accelerator's attention to it. Misaka wants to watch it with you tonight!"

Again, Accelerator turned his head_,_ inspecting the flyer.

It read _'Young, Wild and Free'_ with the promising subtext _'When Hibiko and Katsumi flee from their conservative families to follow their hearts, a love story second to none unfolds.'_

These two phrases were printed above the shadowy figures of two people dancing on a field in the rain with the dominant background colors of purple and pink.

Accelerator cringed.

_If that's even half as crappy as it sounds, I'll heave up before the opening credits._

He looked up to Last Order, whose eyes were sparkling with eagerness.  
"Like hell," the esper grunted and turned away, preparing himself for yet another nap. But he hadn't anticipated the girl's determination.

Before he had even rolled over completely, Last Order grabbed his shoulder and turned him back to face her.

"Misaka really wants to see this! Misaka insists as Misaka refuses to give up," she emphasized, waving the poster.  
Accelerator mumbled something inaudible, but Last Order was sure it was something insulting.

"Misaka doesn't want to go alone, Misaka says as Misaka tries to appeal to Accelerator's sense of responsibility."  
The albino shot her a fiery glance.

"Then go with one of your friends! You made many in your school, didn't you tell me that the other day? Or ask that Misaka. Or Yomikawa. Or Yoshikawa. Not _me_." He accentuated the last word heavily, but Last Order put on a pout.

"But Misaka wants to go with you! Besides, Misaka has already asked everyone, but none of them has time tonight, Misaka adds mumbling as Misaka feels disappointed by her friends."

"So I'm the fallback option?" Accelerator asked sarcastically without thinking. Just as he realized what Last Order would think he implied, the girl put her hands on his shoulders.

"That's not true! Misaka thought of you at first, but Misaka was sure you'd decline her offer, so Misaka had given up and asked her other friends, but now that no one can come with her, Misaka decided to give it a try nonetheless! You're Misaka's most important friend, Accelerator! Misaka adds as Misaka wants to brush away Accelerator's sad feelings."

"I'm not sad!" Accelerator snapped as he tried to push her hands away. "Sheesh, don't get the wrong idea."

Last Order nodded understanding, and Accelerator realized that no matter what he said, she would cling on to the belief that he actually cared whether he was her first choice or not, thought it really was quite the opposite: When it came to whom she wanted to watch cheesy love stories with, he highly hoped she would put him on the very bottom of the list – preferably keeping him out of that list completely.  
The brunette smiled brightly, unaware of Accelerator's vexed thoughts.

"So, will you come with Misaka tonight? Misaka asks as Misaka already picks out an outfit in her head."  
"I said I won't come!" The albino spat out angrily, but Last Order ignored his rejection. She pushed herself up from the couch and stretched her arms, then she let out an exhausted yawn.

"Misaka still has some homework to finish, so Misaka will go to her room now. Which leads Misaka to thinking..." She added recalling and leaned to Accelerator. "Misaka wants you to come to school with her one of these days."  
"What?" Accelerator had just laid down snugly, ready to ignore Last Order's request, and now looked at her with only one eye open. This one eye, however, seemed displeased enough for two already.

"Misaka would love to have classes with you, so Misaka would be really happy if you came to school once in a while, Misaka explains as Misaka voices a wish she's been having ever since she started school."  
"Going to school? Heck, isn't this movie tonight enough already?" Accelerator grumbled both galled and stunned.

Unexpectedly, a wide grin spread on Last Order's face. "So you're coming with Misaka tonight! Misaka triumphs as Misaka caught Accelerator agreeing to her invite!"  
Accelerator had to blink a few times before he realized her point.  
"What!? No, I didn't -" he started, but Last Order had already turned away, humming a happy melody.

Just before the girl arrived at the door to her room, she turned back to Accelerator with a jolly smile. "The movie starts tonight at nine pm, so let's get going at a quarter past eight, Misaka recommends as Misaka feels really happy Accelerator is going with her."

The albino sighed distressed. "Whatever," he waved with his hand before he finally laid down defeated.

* * *

At a quarter to nine, the two of them were part of a long line in front of the cinema.  
All around were either couples holding hands, or girls with an obvious soft spot for cheesy stories.

_If I use _Deflection_, I could crush my own head and die_, Accelerator thought to himself aggravated. This was not the first thought of this kind that had occurred to him while waiting in line for the counter, but it was surely one of the most effective ones.

_Or I could rip my heart out_, he continued to muse as he shot a disgusted look to the posters set up around the cinema.

_Seriously, who likes this crap!?_

"Misaka is so excited for this movie! Misaka says as Misaka crosses her fingers for getting a good seat."  
Last Order had obviously put a lot of effort into her outfit and style for that evening, and when she turned her head to Accelerator to send him an excited smile, warmth grasped the albino's heart.

He sighed surrendering and Last Order tilted her head.  
"What is wrong, Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka notices him sighing."

Accelerator looked down to her. For a moment, he felt like picking a fight, stressing once more that he was _not _looking forward to that movie and had already been considering killing himself instead of facing boredom and disgust for the next two hours. But her chestnut eyes had something special to them, so he just gave her a quick grunt.

"I'm tired from waiting in line," he lied, putting some of his annoyance into his statement to make it more believable.

"Misaka is really sorry for that. But Misaka told you we should have come sooner because it's the premiere and you -"  
"Yeah yeah, I got it!" Accelerator interrupted her with a wave of his hand.

Finally, the two got to the counter.  
"How can I help you?" The girl behind the glass asked with a friendly, though forced smile. After enduring already half an hour of excited teenagers, even her trained courtesy had run dry.

While Last Order asked for two tickets in the third row, Accelerator was caught up in yet another fantasy on how to escape this movie – by now, he could easily make a 'Top 20 ways I'd rather die than watching this crap' list.

"Oh no!" Last Order's voice pulled him out of his dark thoughts. He turned to her, to see her scrabbling through her bag.

"What's wrong, brat?"  
Very slowly, the brunette lifted her head to Accelerator.  
"M-Misaka has... Misaka has forgotten her purse back home, Misaka says as Misaka becomes a little teary-eyed," she sniffled both out of embarrassment and disappointment.

There were a few seconds of silence.  
_Great. Then that's it,_ Accelerator thought with relief. _All there's left is some annoyed comment and I'm home in no time._

It was a tempting thought and he had already slightly opened his mouth, ready to spit out something dismissive. But then, his eyes were captured by Last Order's.

_Why are you staring at me like that? _He thought to himself as he withstood her saddened regard. Another sniffle escaped Last Order's lips, and a small pain struck through his chest.

_Sheesh._

Without a single word, he reached into his pocket and took out his wallet, earning him a thankful squeal from Last Order.  
"Here you go," the vender handed their tickets over after she received the money from Accelerator.  
The white-haired teenager almost sighed to himself.

_Seriously, I'm getting soft_, Accelerator thought disgusted.

He and Last Order had already turned away halfway when the saleslady saw them off by saying, "Have a nice date."

Accelerator stiffened up upon hearing these words.

_Date!? _He echoed in his mind and a wave of embarrassment and aggravation washed over him.

For a moment, the esper was torn between either completely ignoring that statement, or turning back to tear down the woman's booth. As if she could read his mind, Last Order placed one hand on Accelerator's shoulder.  
"D-don't worry about it, Accelerator," she said with a red face. "W-we both know it is not a date. We're just here as friends, Misaka says as Misaka silently pities it's the truth."

"Huh?" The albino made at the last part of her sentence and Last Order's face flushed even brighter.

"T-there's no reason for you to be mad! Misaka's true wishes and hopes have nothing to do with us watching this movie as friends! It's only a date if we both agree on it, so it's not a date right now, Misaka finishes as Misaka is really ashamed she said all that just now and hopes for Accelerator to just ignore her stupid blabbering."  
She avoided his eyes as she talked and Accelerator felt at least as hot as her red face looked.

_Don't tell me that's one of these ass stupid girl-plans? _He thought warily. Even though he had no experience on the topic of dating, all the movies and TV shows he had involuntarily watched with Last Order have given him a rather accurate insight on the ideas of teenage girls.  
_But if it was, she would have done it completely differently, _he dismissed his previous idea, keeping in mind how Last Order was an upright, honest person.

_Besides, there's no way she would..._

Last Order's face was still glowing red and the albino had a hard time taking his eyes off her, but then, he sighed and almost gently brushed her hand away.  
"Let's get it over with," he muttered and went ahead, mentally preparing himself for the probably most boring and disgusting two hours of his life.

* * *

"This was such an unexpected turn of events! Misaka wouldn't have thought that Hibiko would actually..."

Accelerator was tempted to use up some of his valuable esper mode time to block out Last Order's voice. Just a few minutes ago, they had left the cinema and he felt mentally violated by the movie he had just seen. The two protagonists had fit into the typical cliches he had already been dreading, and they had worn their hearts on their sleeves – to make it short, the characters couldn't have been more obnoxious to him.

"Hey Accelerator, are you even listening? Misaka asks as Misaka waves with her hand in front of his eyes."  
Accelerator almost ran into her hand and he turned his head to send her a pissed glance.

"What?"

The brunette pouted. "Geez, you weren't listening to Misaka at all. Misaka had just thanked you for accompanying her tonight, Misaka repeats herself as Misaka thinks about taking back those words at Accelerator's indifference."

The albino grumbled something she could not quite understand before he said, "Just leave it at that. That's enough going out for me this month."

"Eh!? But the month has only just started, Misaka argues as Misaka informs Accelerator of the fact that it's the tenth."

The esper did not even bother to comment on that complaint. He kept pushing himself forward with his cane when he suddenly heard some loud voices from afar.

Accelerator came to a stop, closing his eyes to concentrate on listening more attentively. He classified the voices as the loud shouts and harsh laughs of some drunken idiots, thus deeming them harmless – to Last Order, that is. He himself didn't even need to worry unless they were launching a nuke at him.

"Why did you stop? Misaka asks as Misaka wonders about Accelerator's behavior."

By now, the albino had started going forward again, just giving Last Order a slight wave of his hand to indicate that it was nothing.

The brunette frowned, but soon dismissed her doubts and sped up to catch up with him.

For a while, the two walked side by side without saying a word.

Accelerator was uncomfortably aware of Last Order's closeness. He could catch the scent of her flowery perfume and her arm had already brushed twice over his. He tried to escape her vicinity by making a step to the side, but while Last Order's attention seemed to be at a completely different place, she unknowingly took the same step to be right beside him again.

Accelerator drew a deep breath, both to calm his nerves and to prevent himself from snapping at her.

Last Order, who heard this inhale, looked up.  
"Are you sure everything is alright with you, Accelerator? Misaka is pretty sure you're hiding something, Misaka adds as Misaka feels curious."

Last Order apparently hadn't realized she had leaned to Accelerator as she spoke – he, however, could not, _not_ notice it.

He kept staring at her face while he felt a tingling in his stomach.

_Not this crap again_, he thought. As of lately, this weird feeling had been coming a lot more recently, and while he refused to believe that it was due to Last Order being close to him, it made him feel uneasy.

_**Thud!**_

Out of nowhere, the albino was suddenly thrust back. Blinking in surprise, Accelerator held on to his hurting head, and as he looked to the front, he saw a giant street lamp in front of him – he had walked into it without noticing.

"Oh my, are you hurt Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka puts a hand on Accelerator's shoulder to stabilize him."

The albino turned his head to Last Order, his expression revealing his surprise. Suddenly, he felt his eyes burning.

_For fuck's sake, I'm not crying from such shit, am I!? _He thought in disbelief.

"Tch." He shoved off Last Order's hand, switched on his esper mode and with a kick, he struck the street lamp.

_**Kabomb!**_

The lamp was torn out of the cement it had been buried in. With a splintering and cracking, it fell down heavily, and the ground shook as it hit it.

Somewhat pleased, Accelerator glared down on the immobile object. He quickly turned off his esper mode to prevent even more waste of his precious time.  
He heard a sigh to his left side, and he turned his head to see Last Order shaking her head in disapproval.

"Seriously, Accelerator," she mumbled before she once more placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright? Misaka asks as Misaka tries to forget about that unnecessary outburst to turn her attention to something much more important."

Heat sparked through his body at the touch of Last Order's hand. She wore such a caring expression, despite him just tearing down a street lamp for no real reason and his stomach felt as if it was on fire.

In an attempt to hide his revealing expression from her, he let out a snort  
"Don't give me such stupid questions," he looked down on her. "Of course I'm fi-!"  
Accelerator stopped himself when Last Order simply took him by the hand and dragged him to a nearby pharmacy. She completely ignored his complaints or tries to break free until she had bought a soothing spray as well as some band aids and tissues, then the girl proceeded to guide Accelerator to a bench where she pushed him down.

"And now, hold still so Misaka can put a band aid on your wound. And don't say it's nothing!" She increased her volume when Accelerator opened his mouth to protest. "There's blood running down your front, Misaka says as Misaka informs Accelerator."

Raising his hand to his front, he touched some warm liquid. Inspecting it, he could see that it was blood, which had already run down the bridge of his nose. Realizing that any further resistance would be futile, Accelerator only let out a grumble and allowed the girl to tend to his front.

"All done," Last Order finished off by placing the band aid on his wound. "Now let's go back home, Misaka proposes as Misaka takes Accelerator by the hand to pull him."  
"Let go of me already!" The albino demanded with a voice more confused than actually angry.

Last Order ceased her walking and, without looking at him, she let her hand slide away.  
"Sorry," she mumbled, more to herself before she turned back to him with a pout on her lips. "Will you come now? Misaka asks as Misaka is getting impatient."

Despite acting so determined, Accelerator could feel that something was off about Last Order's behavior. For a moment, his red eyes examined her posture, but then, he decided to ignore it and just started their way back home.

At first, Last Order kept her distance from Accelerator, and the albino almost regretted telling her off so harshly. But soon enough, she came closer to him again, and despite him feeling this irritating sensation again, Accelerator felt some sort of relief; a feeling which he was quick to shake off.

They walked down the long street in silence, and Accelerator's thoughts began to trail off.

_Maybe there's a good horror movie tonight_, he hoped to bury the impressions of the love story he had seen.  
Unexpectedly, they heard a loud clanging and rattling from one of the sideways; a stray cat had jumped into a garbage tray to hunt for something edible.

Accelerator wouldn't have given it much thought after a quick, inspecting glance, but Last Order squealed so loud that he could not help but stop.  
That, and the fact that she suddenly clung unto his arm.

Surprised, the esper turned his head and looked to the girl.  
Last Order's eyes were wide in anxiety and she seemed utterly shocked.

_No, not shocked,_ Accelerator corrected himself as he spotted the tears in her eyes. _Rather scared shitless._

"Oi." He shook the arm Last Order was holding on to, but the brunette didn't let go.  
"Misaka can't do this anymore!" She suddenly exclaimed and looked up to Accelerator with wide, scared eyes.  
"Misaka has tried to conceal it up until now, but Misaka can't anymore! Misaka protests as Misaka feels like falling apart if she has to let go of Accelerator now."

Accelerator frowned, not quite understanding what was going on in the girl's head, while he himself started to feel uncomfortable at Last Order's touch.  
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked, and even though he was partly annoyed by her senseless behavior, he was also slightly worried.

Last Order looked down with an embarrassed expression.  
"You will surely laugh at Misaka, Misaka mumbles as Misaka doesn't want to talk about it."  
The albino grumbled.

_Fuck it, why is she always so complicated?  
_"I won't laugh, so hurry up and tell me already so we can move on," he reassured her with his typical harsh tone.

Last Order looked up with a doubtful face.  
"Can you promise you won't laugh? Misaka asks as Misaka questions Accelerator's trustworthiness on this matter."

Only with force could Accelerator hold back an annoyed growl.  
"Do I look like someone who laughs so easily?" He instead asked back and somehow, that comment eased Last Order up a little, though she still averted her eyes as she started to speak.

"Misaka is... Misaka is afraid of the dark, Misaka admits as Misaka confides to Accelerator."  
Last Order looked up shyly, her eyes meeting a repeatedly blinking Accelerator.  
_Huh!? Afraid of the dark? Oh come on, you gotta be shitting me!_

He was clever enough not to say these words aloud, though.

Instead, the albino let out a sigh.  
"Stupid, there's nothing to be afraid of," he tried to calm her down. "Besides, I'm here."

The latter sentence struck him with surprise. Just a few weeks ago, it would have been impossible for him to say something along those lines without forcing it out after some hard thinking. But now, it had slipped him with a natural ease.

Before he could get caught up to much with these irritating thoughts, Accelerator concentrated on the girl in front of him and waited for her reaction to his words.

As he had hoped, Last Order relaxed a bit.  
"Misaka knows. But that's the thing about irrational fears – they're irrational. Misaka knows there are no reasons to be afraid of the dark when you're around, but Misaka still feels uneasy, Misaka says as Misaka explains the nature of phobias to Accelerator who probably doesn't have any.

Misaka is glad you didn't laugh at her," Last Order went on with a smile. "Misaka knows she is being childish, but Misaka can't help it, Misaka says as Misaka tries to laugh a little."

Accelerator furrowed his brows for a second, then he shrugged.

"Whatever. Can we go now?" He already moved forward, but Last Order still held on to his arm.  
Accelerator turned his head back questioningly.  
"Is there still something?" He asked, withholding his annoyance.

Upon meeting his eyes, Last Order blushed. The brunette gulped and did her best to withstand his gaze as she spoke.  
"Would it... would it be alright for Misaka to hold on to your hand until we are home? Misaka asks as Misaka voices a tiny wish."

"Huh?"

Last Order gulped once more, her face flushing even redder.

"It really reassures Misaka to hold on to you," she stuttered embarrassed. "Please, allow Misaka to hold your hand, Misaka asks Accelerator as Misaka feels her heart beating hard in her chest."

As if it had waited for these words, Accelerator's own heart now started to beat heavily as well.  
He looked at the brunette for a few seconds as he felt a blush, an actual blush creeping its way up to his cheeks.  
Some thoughts started to occur to Accelerator, but as soon as he guessed their nature, he suppressed them with all his might.

_What the heck is she thinking? _He tried to occupy his mind otherwise, and as he looked at her embarrassed, yet hopeful face, he could not help but feel warmth rising inside him, a warmth which comfortably mixed with the heat sparking through his body.

"Whatever," he grumbled at her request with averted eyes, and Last Order let go of his arm. Instead, her fingers reached out for his and as they touched, Accelerator could not help but turn his head, his eyes immediately locking themselves to Last Order's.  
A shiver went down his spine and without realizing it, he tightened his grasp, gently squeezing her hand.

Then, Accelerator abruptly turned away from Last Order and started pulling her.  
While following him, the brunette held her free hand to her chest as her blush increased.

_What is this wonderful feeling? Misaka wonders as Misaka feels overflowing with a happiness she had never felt before.  
_She looked at Accelerator's profile and his face looked so different and yet so familiar to her.  
_Could this be... love? Misaka thinks as Misaka feels her heart beating even faster while looking at Accelerator._

* * *

A few days later, Last Order was in the living room with Accelerator, partly watching a TV show while she packed her bag for the school trip she had been anticipating for the entire week.

It was a rather spontaneous trip; trip probably wasn't even the correct word for this short excursion to school district 10 to explore a nuclear research faculty. Last Order would, however, spend two nights at a small hotel in said district and she was looking forward to it as if it was a vacation at a sunny beach.

Right now, the brunette was happily humming a melody as she folded her clothes.

"Misaka can't wait for tomorrow to arrive, Misaka says as Misaka anticipates her trip! She had only been at her new school for a month and Misaka is already going on an excursion, Misaka adds as Misaka displays her happiness about such a quick and fun adventure"

Accelerator did not even budge. He held a book in front of his face and was studying it with a concentrated expression.  
This concentrated face of his quickly turned surprised when Last Order grabbed the book to take a look at it herself.  
"Oi, brat!" Accelerator complained angrily and sat himself up a bit, while Last Order read the title of his book with an interested expression.

"_Plasma and its range of applications in Hard Science_? Is that any fun? Misaka asks as Misaka browses through the pages."  
Accelerator furrowed his brows. "It's not about fun. It's interesting. Now give it back!"  
Last Order sat herself down on the edge of the couch, starting to read a random page from the book, her expression seeming just as concentrated as Accelerator's before.

The albino waited for a few seconds before he let out a grumble.  
"You don't understand any of that, so give it back to me already," he ordered condescendingly.

"Plasma – from Greek πλάσμα, 'anything formed' - is one of the four fundamental states of matter.  
When air or gas is ionized, plasma forms with similar conductive properties to that of metals. Plasma is the most abundant form of matter in the Universe, because most stars are in a plasma state, Misaka says as Misaka tries to show Accelerator she fully understands the topic," Last Order explained with a bland expression.

Accelerator's eyebrow twitched once, then he lunged forward to grab the book.  
"Just rattling off stuff through your network doesn't count!" He decided with a growl.  
"Are you trying to imply Misaka as an individual is not intelligent? Misaka asks as Misaka starts feeling a little underestimated."  
"Tch." The albino didn't bother to react to her question and the girl pouted in disappointment.  
"You're really rude! Misaka has a keen intellect just like you! Misaka says as Misaka grabs her bag and leaves the room to show Accelerator she is really annoyed."  
With that, she closed the door to her room and left Accelerator to the soft murmuring of the television.

The albino briefly scratched his head.

"Sheesh, girls are so annoying," he mumbled to himself before he opened his book to continue to read.  
While already having a proficient knowledge of plasma, he found the book interesting enough to read it until the late hours of the night. Once he had finished it, tiredness surprised him out of nowhere, and he lazily decided to just spend the night on the couch.

* * *

After several hours of his deep sleep, Accelerator awoke to an empty apartment.

He looked around in confusion a few times before his eyes were caught by a note on the table beside him.  
Lifting it up, he saw Aiho's unruly handwriting.

"_Accelerator,_

_I have a special Anti-Skill training for the next couple of days in district two. Forgot to mention it earlier, but the way I know you, that doesn't matter much.  
Enjoy these two days of solitude and stay out of trouble."_

Accelerator frowned at the last four words.

_Seriously, why does she always write this at the bottom? Fucking annoying..._

At a second glance, he felt disturbed by the word solitude, and he thought about Last Order.

_Is that brat gone too? Would be too much luck, though..._

Only when he took a coffee can out of the fridge did he faintly remember her blabbering about the trip, and he almost nodded to himself.

_Ah right. Something in district ten. Nuclear crap. Seems like I really _will_ have two days of seclusion. Lucky me._

Accelerator went to the panorama window of their living room, his eyes brushing over the skyline of Academy City. The silence around him was almost perfect and he closed his eyes to enjoy it.

_Finally_, he thought to himself as he took another sip of his black coffee. _No blabbering brats or jersey-wearing '_guardians_'._

After a deep, relaxing breath, the albino turned away from the window and turned on the TV. He mindlessly zipped through the channels, but nothing would catch his interest even in the slightest.  
Looking back, it was a shame he had rushed through the book on plasma.  
With a sigh, Accelerator laid down, his eyes fixated to the ceiling, as he realized that he had no idea how to spend this free day of his.

"Tch." _You gotta be shitting me, _he thought aggravated as he pushed himself up.

Accelerator roamed aimlessly through the apartment, taking out several books only to toss them back after a glance. Once more did he try his luck with the television, but he was disappointed by the lack of interesting programs again.

He still forced himself to keep watching a documentary and somehow, the day passed by, with the time running slowly like syrup.

Accelerator eventually fell asleep in the late hours of the night without having eaten a single meal the entire day or having gotten up from the couch once. Usually, this would give him the feeling of having accomplished a perfect day, but instead, he felt somewhat let down and bored.

This irritating feeling was the first and only thing to greet him as he woke up. Accelerator yawned, ignoring the grumbling in his stomach, before he slowly lifted himself up. He numbly walked to the kitchen, grabbed a can of coffee and downed it in one chug. His eyes brushed over the apartment with no interest before he decided to spend this day just like the one before, and he headed straight to the couch.

As the esper sat down, he felt something like a weight pressing down on him. More accurately, his ears felt numb and somewhat full, similar to the feeling of being in deep water. It was a highly uncomfortable feeling, causing the esper to shift nervously.  
It took Accelerator a while to realize that it was the silence that bugged him so much.

His mind did not even manage to find the right words for the confusion he felt.

_What the fuck is wrong with me? The silence never bothered me. Actually, I've been waiting for such a peaceful time ever since I picked up that brat! _He thought irritated. But the pressure on his ears and mind wouldn't fade, and barely realizing his actions, Accelerator grabbed his crutch and left the apartment for a stroll in the city.

Whoever was met by the sight of his clearly annoyed and displeased expression quickly changed to the other side of the street, but the esper did not even notice it; his mind was occupied with gloomy thoughts, trying to deny the fact that he was actually bored.

Not like he had never been bored. There was a boredom he was used to: Sitting in his own, small apartment the entire day, listening to the faint mumbling of the television while drinking more coffee in a day than a family in a week and not thinking about anything – or any_one_ – at all. It had been a comfortable, numbing boredom, giving him some feeling of certainty.

But this kind of boredom was different to him. It had been nagging at him, disturbing him and it had also erected a feeling of emptiness he had never felt before.  
Said feeling was commonly known as loneliness, but Accelerator had yet to realize that, for he hadn't actually felt it for a long time, and any traces of his former loneliness had been buried deep down like most of his emotions. Additionally, while he had been used to being lonely ever since his abilities had been discovered, and while he had certainly felt desperately lonely, he also hadn't really yearned for anyone's company in particular.

But now that Last Order, his main source of company, was gone, a different feeling of loneliness appeared, filled with the longing for someone else's presence.  
Accelerator walked around the busy shopping districts, hoping that the meaningless chatter and laughter might ease the numb feeling in his ears. But while it gave some superficial satisfaction, Accelerator still felt that nagging empty feeling deep inside him.

Unnerved, he kicked away a lonely bottle, its rattling oddly satisfying him.

"Accelerator?"  
The albino jerked his head at the familiar voice and at the first glance, he felt some relief. But this feeling soon vanished as he recognized Mikoto standing a few feet away from him, a crepe in her hand.  
_It's not her_, he thought disappointed, only for him to shake his head.

_What the heck am I thinking!?_

Mikoto interrupted his denying thoughts as she walked closer.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, trying to make some small talk.

The albino didn't know an answer to that, so he just jerked his head away and grunted, "None of your business, third rate."  
Mikoto's eyebrows twitched while she tried to maintain her polite smile.

_As soon as Last Order isn't around, he's back to calling me 'third rate', _she thought annoyed. _Speaking of which..._

"Is Last Order with you?"  
"No. She's on some school trip," Accelerator replied and even though he tried to hide it, the Railgun could hear some disappointment out of his voice and she blinked surprised.

_Is that guy... _lonely_? Geez, I wouldn't even have thought that possible!_

Mikoto took a few seconds to give that possibility some more thought, finding it highly unlikely, then she mentally shrugged her shoulders.

_I couldn't care less about this guy being lonely_.

_But... Last Order would probably tell me to take care of him._

She examined Accelerator thoroughly and the albino sent her an aggravated glare.

"What are you staring at?" He grunted aggressively, causing Mikoto to sigh.

_Seriously, I'm too nice for my own good._

"Where are you going?" Mikoto asked, earning an indecisive shrug from Accelerator.  
"Well, if you've got nowhere in particular to go, then come along."  
It was hard for her saying out these words, but she felt the need of being a good big sister – and in contrast to Accelerator, who only behaved when Last Order was around, Mikoto was determined to work on her attitude even when no one would praise her for it.

"Huh? Going with you? Like hell," Accelerator looked down on her.  
Mikoto felt the electricity inside of her going wild and she barely managed to suppress it. With a forced expression, she leaned forward.

"Now listen..." Mikoto started but she noticed how Accelerator did not catch her words. Instead, he stared at the banana-chocolate crepe she was holding in her right hand.

Testing it out, Mikoto slightly waved the crepe and Accelerator's eyes followed the treat as if they were glued to it.  
"... Are you hungry?" Mikoto asked surprised and while Accelerator already opened his mouth to deny her assumption, his stomach suddenly growled so loudly that even he realized that his denial wouldn't mean a thing.

Just a matter of minutes later had Mikoto managed to drag Accelerator to the next food stall and she pressed the freshly made crepe into his free hand.  
"I told you not to buy me such crap," Accelerator protested with a condescending attitude, but his stomach started to hurt out of hunger, causing him to take a bite before Mikoto could even answer.

"Seriously," the Railgun sighed maturely. "How old are you, not taking care of yourself properly."  
"Shuddup, dat's none of your buisi-" Accelerator started with a full mouth, but a part of the crepe went down the wrong way and the albino started to cough heavily.  
Without a comment, Mikoto handed him some water and waited for his coughing fit to end.

"Don't speak with your mouth full. I'm sure you told Last Order that a dozen times already," the Railgun could not hold back and grinned cockily.  
"Shut your trap, third rate," Accelerator grunted annoyed as he took another bite, slowly filling his empty stomach.  
Mikoto watched while Accelerator ate.

_As I thought, it's still uncomfortable being around him. But... it seems as if something has changed, _the girl thought, unable to put her finger on what exactly had changed about him.

_Besides, I have promised Last Order to get along with him, so how could I possibly ignore him after bumping into him like that?_

After a final bite, Accelerator tossed the wrapping into the next tray, then he turned his head back to Mikoto.

The brunette forced up a smile and Accelerator noticed how it was completely different from Last Order's.

_Aside from the fact that she's obviously forcing her smile_, he thought as he watched her attempt at appearing friendly with a raised eyebrow. _When Last Order smiles, it's like a sunrise in her face. Full of warmth and genuine happiness for everyone and everything._

_Wait, what!?_ He thought as soon as he realized what he'd been thinking. _Sheesh, being with that brat has softened me up so much, I feel like tearing something apart._

Mikoto noticed the change of mood in Accelerator's face, but before she could make a comment, her cell phone rang. She pulled out the gekota case and answered the call.

"Hello hello, Misaka Mikoto here?"

Naturally, Accelerator couldn't hear what was said on the other side, so he just kept looking at the Railgun, unsure whether he should try to take his chance and leave or stay a little longer.

"Saten-san," Mikoto said surprised with the hint of a smile.  
"Something interesting? Uiharu and Kuroko are there as well? … Yes, I guess I understand... I think I could … Alright, I'll come right over. No, there's no need for Kuroko -!" The electromaster started protesting heavily, but it was already too late.  
Out of nowhere, the teleporter appeared – unfortunately directly above Accelerator.

"Get off of me, you freak!" Accelerator barked angrily as he shoved the girl off his lap.

"Oh my, this hasn't happened in a long time, I'm really sorry," Kuroko apologized, straightening her uniform. Only then did she seem to recognize Accelerator and she made a jump back.

"You're with this man again!? First that ape, and now this albino – Onee-sama, you're so cruel! I have to show you some of my Kuroko-love to get you back to the right path!" The girl with the pig tails decided possessively and lunged towards Mikoto, only to being sent back by a high electric shock.

"O-onee-sama," the Judgment member whispered as she twitched in pain, but Mikoto only let out a sigh.  
"That's what you get for jumping to conclusions so quickly – or at me, to begin with," she added with an annoyed expression before she turned to Accelerator and shot him a somewhat apologetic smile.  
"I'll be off. Say hi to Last Order for me once she's back."

Accelerator made a movement with his head that could be interpreted as a nod; it was enough for Mikoto to smile satisfied before she squatted down to her hurt friend.  
"Now hurry up and teleport us to Saten-san and Uiharu."  
"Y-yes, Onee-sama," Kuroko mumbled and at the touch of her hand, both girls disappeared into thin air.

Accelerator stared at the place where their bodies had been at for a while longer before he lifted himself up.  
The nagging feeling that had been slightly suppressed by Mikoto's presence rose up again almost immediately. After all, she wasn't the one whose company he sought.

The esper sighed to himself and he decided to make his way back home after buying some more coffee cans.  
The apartment greeted him with absolute silence.

Accelerator immediately turned on the television to have some random chatter as background noise, but just as the day before, it didn't help much. On the way to his room to grab a change of clothes – Mikoto had accidentally smeared some chocolate on his shirt after handing him his crepe – he stopped by Last Order's door.  
He had only once entered the room, not so long ago in order to search for her, and he had never deemed it necessary to go in again.

_Has it undergone some changes, now that she's a teenager? _Accelerator wondered, finding it hard to believe she stuck to the pink walls, glowing stars and stuffed animals. He laid his hand on the door handle when his reason stopped him.

_What the heck am I doing? There's nothing in her room that would be of interest to me_, he lectured himself and was about to turn away. But the empty feeling inside him would bug him even harder, the further he turned away, and in his loneliness, Accelerator gave in and entered Last Order's room once more.  
His assumption had been partly correct. The room had been painted in more mature colors – brown and white – and there were no puzzles lying all over the place anymore.

However, he could still spot her countless stuffed animals. They had been lined up neatly and were distributed evenly in her room, but they haven't been removed and the glowing stars were still glued to the ceiling as well.

As if to fill the empty space left by the puzzles, numerous books were spread out, and by looking at their titles, one could tell that Last Order's interests were numerous and seemingly random. Books about animals, technical topics, fictitious novels and other were all present.

Accelerator had little eye for these minor details, though. He had closed his eyes and inhaled Last Order's so familiar scent. It wasn't only her flowery perfume she had started using ever since her transformation. It was her very own, feminine and clean smell this room was drenched with and upon smelling it, the feeling of loneliness inside of Accelerator seemed to disappear and a sense of longing took its place at the same time.

The esper barely realized how he stepped into the room, his fingers brushing over Last Order's table, her stuffed animals and the tidy blankets on her bed. Her scent completely enclosed his mind and his loneliness partly faded because her presence seemed to be so close. At the same time, he felt even more longing for her company, now that he could smell, but not see, hear nor feel her.

His stomach was tickling with a pleasant, yet nervous sensation and only when he squeezed one of Last Order's pillows did Accelerator realize what he did.

_What the fuck!?_  
He jumped up almost immediately, but lacked the willpower to leave her room as his reason had planned.

_Last Order..._

He missed her. It was a sudden realization and it struck him hard.

He missed her constant blabbering, her pouting, her overly excited attitude, her bright smile, and he missed all of it so much that it almost made his heart ache.  
For a second, Accelerator imagined the thought of Last Order being gone. Not just for a trip for a day or two, but truly gone, taken by death. The thought was more painful than he had thought it would be.

_I don't think I could handle it_, he thought, allowing himself to being honest at least towards himself.

_If it hurts this much even thinking about it... I should really try..._

But that was his limit. He already felt sick to the point of vomiting. In that moment, Accelerator felt so vulnerable that he would probably kill anyone on sight to prevent them from seeing through him. The esper took a deep, controlled breath before returning to the living room, tightly shutting Last Order's door.

_Just what the fuck is wrong with me lately!? This is creeping me out_, the albino shook his head in denial and disgust.  
Accelerator let himself fall onto the couch, absent-mindedly watching the airing program. He buried his previous realization as deeply as he could, but once the train of thought had started, it seemed to refuse to be stopped. While he managed to ban these thoughts in his mind, his heart would not and could not forgot his feelings.

It was an irritating, sickening feeling, almost realizing what he truly felt for Last Order, and not only because it made him so vulnerable. His impression of himself not being good enough for her was still present, even reinforced by the comments Kugimiya had made the other day.

Another wave of sickness rushed over him and Accelerator forcefully closed his eyes, burying his thoughts as deeply as he could.

_I've had enough of this crap already! If only some fucktards on the street would try jumping at me again_, he thought, though he did not truly wish for it. But in that moment, he was content with anything that would distract him from Last Order.

The rest of his final free day passed by slowly but surely, with him doing nothing but lying on the couch. Occasionally, Last Order's image would appear in his mind, or the feeling inside him would make him feel so lonely he'd curl up even tighter, but whenever either of those happened, the esper clenched his teeth and concentrated on the television.

Finally, night came, and just like the night before, Accelerator decided to sleep on the couch, too lazy to get up after hours of barely watching TV.  
Accelerator felt slightly nervous, and if he would have allowed himself to think about it, he would have realized that it was because of anticipation for Last Order's arrival. He surely knew it somewhere at the back of his head, but he refused to fully accept it. With a grunt, he buried his head into the cushion of the couch, and soon, his usual deep sleep embraced him, mercifully not paining him with any confusing dreams.

::BREAK:::

"Misaka is home! Misaka says as Misaka energetically enters and swings her arms around!"

The brunette stopped herself mid-swing when she saw the sleeping Accelerator. A warm smile spread on her face, and she tiptoed to her room, got one of her blankets, and snuck back to Accelerator.

The albino was still fast asleep, breathing deeply and peacefully.  
For a few moments, Last Order got lost in the pleasure of watching his sleep. The feelings she used to have as a child when watching him rest seemed to be amplified. Her heart felt as if it was about to explode in her chest and the warmth that grasped her heart made Last Order smile even brighter.

_Misaka... really loves you, Misaka admits to herself as Misaka decides not to run away from it any longer._

This honesty towards herself made Last Order shiver, but at the same time, it relaxed her. Her heart throbbed heavily in her chest upon watching Accelerator, but she tried to enjoy the feeling, rather than being embarrassed about it.

_Misaka has been missing you so much during her trip and has been thinking about you the entire time. This just has to be love. Misaka wouldn't know any other word for it. And as a grown up, Misaka should accept that, Misaka talks to herself in her heart as Misaka allows her feelings to flow freely._

After a few seconds, Last Order sat down next to Accelerator, carefully laying the blanket on top of him, tucking it under at his sides and chin to make sure he was fully covered.

"Misaka... can finally admit it towards herself," the girl started mumbling with a soft expression. "Misaka's feelings for you are so big, Accelerator. Knowing that you don't feel the same is really hurtful, so Misaka has been trying to run away from the truth, but in the end, Misaka can't lie to herself that much, Misaka says as Misaka talks to herself because she does not dare to confess to Accelerator just yet." Some tears built in Last Order's eyes and she brushed them away with a slight chuckle.

"Misaka doesn't know whether the pain will be too much for her in the end, but Misaka doesn't want to deny herself. Misaka will try hard to work up the courage to confess so she can be honest towards both herself and you, Misaka says as Misaka presents her plans to the sleeping Accelerator."

Suddenly, Accelerator started shifting in his sleep and after a soft murmuring, he opened his eyes. As he recognized Last Order sitting beneath him, an unconscious smile spread on his face.

"You're back," he mumbled and his voice, although a bit sleepy, showed his genuine happiness for her return.

Last Order blushed in surprise, then she nodded with a smile.

_But maybe Misaka should try working hard right now. Or else, Misaka won't ever have the courage necessary to confess, Misaka realizes as Misaka decides to be as honest towards Accelerator as she currently can. _

"Yes, Misaka is home. Did you miss Misaka? Misaka asks as Misaka hopes Accelerator missed her as much as she missed him!"  
"Huh?" Accelerator grumbled, lacking the energy to snap at her so early in the day. He had only realized the first part of her sentence; after living with her so long, he occasionally ignored the explanatory part of her phrases.

"Sheesh, stop mumbling such stupid stuff, brat," he told her off with a yawn, but Last Order only kept smiling, not showing the quiet pain striking through her chest.

"Well, Misaka wasn't hoping for an honest reply," she smiled seemingly carefree and got up. "But despite greatly enjoying the trip with her classmates, Misaka is really happy to being back home, Misaka says as Misaka goes to her room to unpack her stuff."

Accelerator looked after the brunette with a puzzled expression as his brain finally and fully processed Last Order's words.  
_She missed me? _He echoed in his mind and the mere thought made his heart race.

Just in that moment, Last Order stopped at her door. She turned her head back and sent the albino a bright, cheerful smile before she entered her room, not knowing that her smile caused his heart rate to rocket through the roof, and a faint smile formed on Accelerator's face.

As soon as he noticed it, the albino eased his facial muscles up, making place for an irritated frown.

_Just what is happening to me?_ He wondered nervously.

_All these creepy feelings welling up... It's almost as if I..._

The esper violently shook his head, but with every day passing by, he lost more of the strength necessary to deny his emotions, and he had come far enough to guess what caused his racing heart and involuntary smiles.

_It couldn't possibly be_, he still tried denying himself. _I've got no idea of such feelings._

Raising his head, his eyes brushed over Last Order's door, and another smile appeared on his face.

_This feeling... It's not too bad_, he thought, just to be overwhelmed by a splurge of irritation and cold.  
With an exhausted sigh, Accelerator ran his fingers through his hair.

_Seriously, I'm not cut out for this stuff._


	8. For You Only

**A Certain Complex Feeling**

Chapter 8 ~ For You Only

* * *

Laughter from three girls filled the air in Seventh Mist.  
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and Last Order had taken the chance to go out with Yui and Mikoto.  
The first encounter between the two girls had been a little awkward – to Mikoto, that is.

The Railgun always dreaded being seen with one of her clones. She had become quite popular over time as the third-best level 5, mostly thanks to her down-to-earth, friendly personality, and up until a few months ago, it had been a fact she was an only-child.

Furthermore, even though Mikoto had once thought she and Last Order could pass as mere sisters, not twins, she had soon realized that other people thought otherwise and the stares, either surprised or suspicious, always unnerved her.

And even someone as carefree as Yui could not help but notice that Mikoto and Last Order looked very similar, and in her usual way, the blonde had promptly asked whether the two were sisters – a question which had been confirmed by Last Order immediately. And after some unfortunate whispers from bypassers, Yui had also learned that Mikoto was no one else than Tokiwadai's famous Railgun.

"Wow, Mi-chan!" Yui had grinned widely. "You don't happen to be a magnet for level 5s?"  
But other than that, Yui had neither commented Mikoto's status, nor raised any suspicions towards her and Last Order being sisters, and after a short while, Mikoto felt comfortable around Yui.

Just then, the three of them exited a photo booth and their silly faces on the photos caused them to burst into laughter every other second.

They walked over to a little coffee shop, each ordering a drink to sip while chatting.

"Sawa-sensei keeps apologizing to me for misplacing some of my paperwork from two years ago," Yui was currently telling the two girls. "But I can't remember anything of the sort, and I'm slowly thinking that I never handed that work in to begin with!"

Mikoto giggled and took another sip from her iced coffee. "That poor guy, don't you think, Last Order?" She asked towards her sister, but no answer came back.  
Surprised, Mikoto turned her head to the brunette, only to find Last Order staring across their table towards a black haired guy. His hair was extremely gelled and styled, and a charming smile adorned his face – Last Order was not the only girl staring at him.

Yui was quick to jump at the opportunity, as always.

"Ooh, Mi-chan! Is that the type of guy you like?"  
As to be expected, Last Order blushed. "N-no, that's not it, Yui-chan! Misaka just thinks that man has a nice hairstyle, Misaka says as Misaka explains the reason for her staring."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Yui seemingly apologized. "I forgot you're rather into white-haired men. Like Accel-kun," the blonde added with a devilish grin.  
Last Order blushed even redder, waving her hands nervously. "Y-yui-chan, what are you saying? Misaka asks as Misaka feels really embarrassed."  
Mikoto frowned. "Accel-kun?" She echoed, and Last Order quickly turned her head.  
"I-it's nothi -"  
"Yes," Yui confirmed towards Mikoto, completely walking over Last Order's denial.  
"You see, Mi-chan really has a liking – a liking," she had to repeat herself as Last Order tugged frantically on her shirt, "for Accel-kun."

Mikoto, who had just taken another sip from her drink, spurted the liquid out.  
"W-wait," she wanted to make sure while she wiped the drink off her skirt, " 'Accel-kun' as in Accelerator? Are we talking about Accelerator here? _Accelerator_?" She once more asked, her voice displaying her disbelief, and if she hadn't stared at Last Order as intently, she would have missed the shy nod that the girl managed to force herself to do.

"Uh-huh, m-maybe a little, Misaka says as Misaka feels a little embarrassed about admitting that to Onee-sama," Last Order said nervously, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.  
Mikoto was dumbfounded.

_Seriously? That stupid idiot!?_

It took up almost all of her willpower not to yell these words aloud.

_Even if it wasn't for what he did to my sisters_, Mikoto kept frowning, _there's still the fact that he's cold, and lazy, and rude, and aggressive, and... and... Just everything about that guy is totally wrong! _She finally decided, the vein on her temple almost popping out. But then, she met Last Order's nervous regard, and the rosy color on the girl's cheeks, and the Railgun mentally sighed to herself.

"Are you sure that you... like him?" Mikoto could not help but ask, seeking for confirmation as she raised her eyebrow, "Like in... _like _him?"  
Last Order shifted nervously, but before she could speak, Yui leaned forward with a wide grin.  
"Oh, you bet, Rail-chan! You'd have to see how Mi-chan acts around him. She's _so _nervous." She had lowered her voice to a whisper, but it was still loud enough for Last Order to hear.

"T-that's not true! Misaka protests as Misaka doesn't want Onee-sama to get the wrong idea," Last Order spoke up.  
"Oh, so you dislike him?" Yui asked with feigned disappointment, once more evoking a blush from Last Order.  
"That's not true either..." she mumbled indecisively, and suddenly, Mikoto's features softened and before she knew what she did, she took her little sister's hand.  
"You really like him." Mikoto wanted to make it sound like a question, but the look in Last Order's eyes said it all, and soon enough did the little brunette nod again.

_Why? _The electromaster thought blankly.  
"B-because..." Last Order started and Mikoto blinked – she hadn't realized she had actually _said _what she thought.  
"Accelerator is... Whenever Misaka sees Accelerator, her heart becomes warm and happy. Accelerator might not be... He might come off rude at times and harsh, but Misaka knows that he is..." Last Order searched for the right words, pinching her napkin, "... he really is a kind person at heart. And he... he makes Misaka smile... And he would always come running for Misaka if she was in a pinch, Misaka says as Misaka presents her observations."

Mikoto's eyebrow twitched.

_That guy, kind at heart? _She thought and almost let out a snort. _Does love really make you blind?_

Yui sighed exorbitantly. "You see, that's how it is, Rail-chan. But sadly, Mi-chan doesn't want to confess to Accel-kun." Her voice lost some of the acting, and both Mikoto and Last Order jumped in their seats.

"C-confe -" Last Order wanted to echo, but Mikoto beat her to it.

"Confess?" She resounded anxiously, and Yui nodded.  
"What's wrong, Rail-chan?"  
Mikoto lowered her head, flustered. "C-confessing is so.. embarrassing," she mumbled and Last Order was startled.

"Confessing is such a... such a big step," Mikoto continued. "It's not as easy as people who aren't in love say it is. All the doubt, the possible rejection... The question 'Is he the right one?'" The Railgun shook her head.  
"But that's no excuse," she said, seemingly out of nowhere. "I know it's hard, and I know it's scary, but... But for your own sake, one has to confess! If you truly like the other person, then you should take action!"

Last Order blinked surprised. "R-really, Onee-sama? Misaka asks as Misaka is amazed by Onee-sama's advice."

Mikoto stiffened up, a blush of embarrassment on her cheeks.

_What am I saying? As if I'm one to talk, _she thought ashamed, her thoughts trailing off to a certain misfortunate guy.

Mikoto shook her head with force, only now realizing how the two other girls were staring at her.  
"A-anyways, let's just..." she tried to brush away the topic with averted eyes, only to catch a glimpse of a nearby clock.

"It's already this late!? Oh no, I will miss my violin lesson!" She gasped hectically.

Both Yui and Last Order needed a moment to catch up with Mikoto's pace, but then, the girls stood to see the electromaster off.  
"Misaka will miss Onee-sama, Misaka says as Misaka accepts Onee-sama's schedule," Last Order hugged Mikoto goodbye.  
The Railgun shot both of the girls a grin that barely hid her embarrassment from her outburst, then she turned away and took off to catch her bus.

Once Mikoto was out of sight, Last Order turned back to her classmate and tilted her head questioningly.  
"That was... weird, Misaka says as Misaka reflects on Onee-sama's behavior."  
Yui could only nod, and for the moment, they stood in silence. Then, as if they had agreed on it, they shrugged and switched the topic.

"Would you like to come to Misaka's place? Misaka suggests as Misaka fails to think of another place to spend the rest of the day."  
"Sure. Wanna watch a movie or something?" Yui proposed with a pointer to the nearby video store.  
After a happy nod from Last Order and a few minutes, the two girls left said store with a couple of movies, heading straight to Aiho's apartment.

"Misaka is home and has brought a friend! Misaka says as Misaka enters to inform everyone as soon as possible!"  
"As soon as possible?" Accelerator commented cynically from his seat, earning him a jolly grin from Last Order.

Upon recognizing Yui, the albino faintly nodded before turning back to his meal.

"Wow, what smells so good?" Yui asked as soon as she caught a whiff of Accelerator's plate.  
"Is that omelet rice? I didn't know you could cook, Accel-kun!" The blonde complimented, but the esper's raised eyebrow informed her of her mistake before Last Order explained, "This was surely made by Aiho and not Accelerator, Misaka informs Yui as Misaka calculates the chances of Accelerator cooking out of his own accord.  
Not that Accelerator couldn't cook!" The girl was quick to add after a glance from Accelerator.  
"Misaka has already cooked with Accelerator and therefore knows that he can cook very well. Misaka just knows that Accelerator rarely cooks, so Misaka made an assumption, Misaka explains as Misaka intends to apologize in case she'd been wrong."

"As if I cared about that," Accelerator grumbled as Aiho entered the living room from the kitchen.

"You weren't wrong, Last Order," the woman grinned. "Nice to see you brought a friend along," she added with a nod towards Yui.  
"I made a bunch of food, so just help yourselves. I have to leave for work now." Aiho put on her jacket and vest, and, with a friendly smile, left the apartment to the three teenagers.

"Are you hungry already, Yui-chan? Misaka asks as Misaka tries to be a good host."  
But the blonde shook her head. "No, not yet. How about we watch a movie first?" She held up the bag and Last Order nodded excitedly.  
"Misaka would love to! Do you want to join us, Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka doesn't want Accelerator to feel left out."

The albino looked up from his plate with a pained expression.  
"No more movies for me this month, didn't I tell you that?"  
"You only said no more going out this month," Last Order corrected him. "Besides, Yui-chan and Misaka have picked up a horror movie as well, so Misaka is sure you'll enjoy it, Misaka adds as Misaka hopes to lure Accelerator in."

Accelerator cocked his eyebrow at her.  
"_You_ picked a horror movie?" He asked doubtfully, then he shrugged his shoulders.  
"Well, whatever. If it's really a horror movie and not some crappy teenager-angst stuff with a disgusting love story involved, then I'll watch it."  
Last Order's face lit up in happiness and soon thereafter, they had drawn the curtains to create a fitting atmosphere for the movie, since the sun was still shining brightly despite the day already approaching its evening.

There was only one problem in their comfortable set up: Due to an unfortunate event, there was only one couch left in living room at the moment.  
The reason for that was simple; Aiho had cleaned the entire apartment vigorously the other day and in her eagerness, she had managed to spill an entire bucket of water on the couch.

Since said furniture item was currently being professionally cleansed and dried, the three teenagers had no other choice but to squeeze together on the smaller couch that was left.  
"D-Do you have enough space for yourself, Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka keeps her arms together as much as she can."

The albino jerked his head over to the brunette.  
"Sheesh, stop whining like that already," he grumbled, himself sitting fairly comfortable and loose.  
Yui on Last Order's other side had also seated herself snugly and she smiled encouragingly towards the brunette.  
"Well, then here goes Misaka, Misaka says as Misaka leans partly against Yui-chan and Accelerator."

She had intended to say this with ease and security, but as soon as her arm leaned against Accelerator's did heat rush through her body and Last Order shot a shy regard towards the boy.

On the outside, the albino did not even seem to realize how close the girl was to him, and seeing his indifference, Last Order eased up, though the blush on her cheeks did not fade away.

On the inside, however, Accelerator's stomach was tingling and he was overly aware of Last Order's arm leaning against him.

His eyes always shot back to the smiling Last Order, and the familiar heat rose in his chest.  
With an almost silent grunt, the albino focused on the movie which had just been switched on by Yui.

It was typical for its genre, with a relatively slow start to build up momentum, suspense and fear towards the middle.

While not being close to the type of splatter and shock Accelerator was used to, the level 5 still enjoyed the movie.

At a particular part, a slight grin appeared on his face.

_Judging from the previous events and the usage of typical cliches, the climax should be right around the corner._

And just as he had predicted, only a matter of minutes later did both girls let out high squeals of absolute fear.

Accelerator had expected it, thus it didn't bother him that much.  
What he hadn't expected, however, was that Last Order would jump in shock, throw herself over him and bury her head in his chest.

Accelerator shivered in surprise and he blinked down on the girl with an irritated expression.

"Oi." He managed to complain after a few seconds.

"S-Sorry," Last Order replied and as she lifted her head, she showed a sheepish smile. "T-That was really scary, wasn't it, A-Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka seeks for confirmation."  
Accelerator blinked again for a few times before he grunted, "Like hell."

Now, it was Last Order's turn to blink. "But you're having goosebumps all over your skin! Misaka points out as Misaka wonders why Accelerator would have them if he wasn't scared."  
"Like I said, I wasn't -!" Suddenly, the albino stopped. His eyes quickly darted to Last Order's hand which laid on his arm and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks, accompanying his quickening heartbeat.

"M-Maybe I got a bit scared," he mumbled as he averted his eyes. "So what, it's a horror movie. Sheesh, don't exaggerate stuff like that all the time." With that, he shook off her hand, hoping that the girl would buy his lie.

Last Order frowned in doubt, her eyes closely examining Accelerator. She leaned forward and after a few seconds, in which Accelerator kept looking back and forth between her face and the television, she said, "Misaka doesn't believe you. You're not the type of guy who'd get scared by such a movie, Misaka knows that. Could it be you're cold? Misaka asks as Misaka came up with a proper explanation for Accelerator's goosebumps."  
Again, Accelerator blushed by Last Order's closeness, though his eyes started to spray sparks.

"Brat, stop being so annoying -" he started, but the brunette didn't listen. She got up from her seat and quickly made her way to her room to return with a fluffy blanket.

"Here, Misaka says as Misaka wraps the blanket around Accelerator to keep him warm."  
The albino tried to keep her hands away, but Last Order was so determined that his halfhearted efforts didn't stand a chance.  
"If you'd listen to me, you'd know I'm not cold," he grumbled once the girl had finished tucking the blanket in.  
She wore a satisfied smiled, which widened into a grin upon seeing his angry eyes.

"Can I press play now?" Yui leaned forward with a playfully raised eyebrow making her presence known.  
"Oh, sorry, Yui-chan! Misaka didn't -"  
"Don't worry about it," Yui cut her off with a wave of her hand. She shot her friend a grin before she turned the movie back on.

After its climax, the story clearly lost its momentum, and when the movie had ended, the three teenagers sat in silence.  
"Well..." Yui finally broke it with a tilted head. "Somehow, I had expected it to be..."  
"Scarier? Misaka proposes as Misaka phrases her own thoughts," Last Order helped out and the blonde nodded.  
"Yes, scarier."

Accelerator scoffed. "You're talking quite big, considering how you were shrieking the whole time like slaughtered pigs."  
Last Order blushed while at the same time anger sparked from her eyes.

"Misaka didn't sound like that at all! Misaka protests as Misaka feels really embarrassed about Accelerator's comment!"  
Accelerator looked up, surprised by the vehemence of her protest.  
The brunette pouted depressed, still the red glow on her cheeks.

_How can he say something so rude!? Misaka asks herself as Misaka feels deeply hurt at the thought of Accelerator describing her in such an unattractive way.  
_Last Order blinked startled when she realized that she felt hurt instead of embarrassed. She had always put up with Accelerator's comments with ease, but something suddenly had become different.

Accelerator still stared at her, his eyebrows raised. He opened his mouth to say something but suddenly, Last Order turned away from him.  
"Misaka will go to the bathroom! Misaka says as Misaka tries to..." The girl bit her lip. She had intended to say 'tries to escape the situation', but phrasing that might raise questions from Accelerator's side – questions she did not feel ready to answer yet. With a shake of her head, the brunette went on, though with much less force, "... to display her annoyance properly through her voice."

And with that, she left Yui and Accelerator behind, tightly shutting the door to the bathroom.

She rested her head against the cool tiles and let out a sigh.

_What is Misaka saying? _She thought embarrassed.

_There was no reason for Misaka to yell at Accelerator like that, was there?  
_The teenage girl let out another sigh and played with a strand of her hair.

_What has changed? Misaka asks herself as Misaka feels lost, _Last Order wondered as she stepped up to the mirror.

She had been in that body for almost two months now, and she mostly had gotten used to seeing the face of a teenager looking back at her. The hormonal changes had been a lot more confusing to her, but eventually, Last Order had learned to cope with it and she already spent days not even thinking about the novelty of it all.

But in this particular moment, she felt as if she'd been transformed just an hour ago.

She clearly remembered that first day. In the one moment, she had closed her childish eyes, then, after what felt like just a second later, opened them to see a nervous Kikyou looking back at her almost on eye level.  
She had exited the incubation tank with insecure feet, stumbling like a newborn. Somehow, she had managed to pull herself in front of the large mirror Kikyou had arranged earlier. Her eyes couldn't believe what they saw, and she had to repeatedly touch her skin to convince herself of her new body.

It had been a terrifying feeling, not recognizing oneself in the mirror, and in that moment in the bathroom, Last Order felt it once more.

The brunette shook her head and slapped her cheeks.

_Just what is Misaka thinking? Misaka has received so much happiness from her transformation, Misaka tells herself as Misaka thinks of all the people she met and the experiences she made, only possible through the transformation.  
_The girl nibbled on her bottom lip, staring at her mirrored image as if she could find out the answer to her question that way.

She closed her eyes, going back to the scene with Accelerator. She reminded herself of his rude comment and once more felt a sting.

_Misaka has never bothered that much about Accelerator making such comments, so why does Misaka now? Misaka asks herself as Misaka can't understand what had changed her attitude so much._

Accelerator's image rose in her mind, and her cheeks flushed a bright red while her heart jumped in excitement.

_Is it... just because Misaka has finally realized she loves Accelerator? _Last Order wondered with a hand held to her chest. Then, she shook her head.

_This doesn't make sense! Why would Misaka act so unfriendly towards Accelerator if she loves him? Misaka tells herself as Misaka cannot understand why her brain worked that way._

"Maybe because the administrator is scared that his comments could be a sign of his disinterest in any romantic relationship with her? Misaka proposes an idea while she cannot understand the administrator's worries."

Last Order jerked her head in surprise.

"Misaka 10032! Misaka says as Misaka recognizes her sister."

"Yes, Misaka confirms as she is once again surprised for the administrator always asking for her serial number."

Last Order took a moment to analyze the unexpected comment from her sister.  
"M-Maybe you're right, Misaka admits as Misaka realizes the truth behind her sister's words," she mumbled.

Through the network, Last Order could feel some irritation radiating from Misaka 10032.  
"Misaka does not understand why the administrator does not take the simple action to confirm Accelerator's feelings for her, Misaka explains as the administrator becomes aware of her irritation."

Last Order blinked multiple times. Then, she flushed even brighter.

"B-b-but Misaka can't possibly," she started nervously, rubbing her hands together in an awkward manner. "M-Misaka can't p-p-possibly tell A-Accelerator just yet, b-because..."  
"Because? Misaka inquires as the administrator stopped talking."

Last Order went quiet, placing her index fingers against each other.  
"What if... Accelerator rejects Misaka once more? Misaka asks as Misaka names the reason for which she'd been unable to confess to Accelerator the whole time," she mumbled so quietly that no one would have been able to hear her… Not that it was relevant to Misaka 10032, who was connected to her through the network.

The clone took a while to think about that question.

"Misaka does not know," it finally responded with the typical unmoved voice. "But wouldn't it be even more difficult to never ask? Misaka asks as she wants the administrator to stop feeling so troubled."  
Last Order was startled.

_Hasn't Onee-sama said something like that earlier? Misaka wonders as Misaka faintly recalls Onee-sama talking about confessions this day._

_Yes, _the girl nodded to herself as she remembered. _If both Misaka 10032 and Onee-sama think that way, then maybe Misaka should finally take action._

She nodded once more, this time in reference to her sister's advice.  
"Misaka is sorry for worrying you, sister, Misaka apologizes as Misaka realizes she had been causing trouble for her sisters because of her constant worrying. Misaka should just take action. Misaka will try to confess to Accelerator at the next possible chance, Misaka promises as Misaka still feels a little nervous, but is determined to finally speak her mind to Accelerator."  
"Good," was the simple response from Misaka 10032. "Misaka will get back to her work now, so please excuse Misaka, Misaka bids her farewell as she focuses on the task at hand."

Last Order only nodded and the presence of her sister faded.  
The brunette worked her fingers through her hair and let out a sigh.  
"Yush, let's do this! Misaka tries to pump herself up as Misaka raises her fists to underline her words and with a feeling of determination opens the door."

* * *

In the meantime, Accelerator and Yui sat on the couch in silence. Accelerator still stared towards the bathroom to which Last Order had escaped a couple of minutes ago.

"Poor Mi-chan," Yui suddenly commented quietly, her voice a little less energetic than it usually was.  
Accelerator jerked his head.  
"Huh?" He made without much thinking, and Yui turned her head to look at him.

"Poor Mi-chan," she repeated a bit more loudly, causing Accelerator to furrow his brows in annoyance.

"I got that," he said, his curiosity picked. "It was 'huh' as in 'why?'."

A grin crept up on the corners of Yui's mouth, and Accelerator realized that she had been just baiting him.

"I feel sorry for Mi-chan," she managed to speak without saying anything really.

Accelerator's expression almost turned into a question mark and Yui giggled to herself.  
"It must be tough for her, with someone as dense as you," she teased the albino who could not quite understand her point.  
"Huh?"  
"Not that creative, Accel-kun," Yui playfully lectured him with a shake of her head. "But then again, she's just as clueless as you. You two really do fit."

_Dense? _He wondered surprised, his face displaying his confusion. _Hard on her? And what does that mean, she's just as clueless?_

Yui giggled once more.  
Suddenly, the door to the bathroom was pushed open so forcefully that it loudly banged against the wall. Yui and Accelerator jumped in surprise, and as they turned their heads to the door, they saw Last Order peeking around the corner.

"S-Sorry," Last Order grinned sheepishly. "Was Misaka taking too long? Misaka asks as Misaka walks to her friends to make up for the time she'd been away."

"Mi-chan," Yui frowned surprised. "Are you okay?"  
Last Order nodded as heavily as she could without it seeming forced. "Yes! Misaka confirms as Misaka wants to reassure her friend and smiles brightly."  
Yui still kept her brows furrowed, but then, she shrugged. The smile on Last Order's face deepened in relief, then she looked over to Accelerator.

The albino wore a similar doubting – and, though Last Order couldn't know it, confused – expression, but the glare out of his red eyes was much more intense and Last Order blushed immediately, and so brightly that even Accelerator could not help but notice it.  
His brows twitched surprised and Last Order hastily stuttered, "W-well, what are we going to do now? Misaka asks as Misaka remembers that they finished the horror movie already."

Yui leaned her head back. "Well, we still have a bunch of movies lying around, so we could watch another?" However with one glance at the clock, she soon added with a sigh, "But I know my mom, and if I don't get home soon, she'll be worried."

Last Order nodded as she understood, though her chest started to hurt. "Then you should head home soon, Yui-chan, Misaka advises her friend as Misaka is saddened the fun day has to end so soon."  
Yui grinned at the compliment. "We'll see each other in school on Monday, and if Sawa-sensei doesn't give us too much homework, you could come over to my place after school," she proposed and Last Order nodded enthusiastically.  
"Misaka would love to! Misaka says as Misaka is already looking forward to it." She handed her friend her bag and brought her to the door.

"Have a safe trip, Yui-chan, Misaka sees her friend off as Misaka waves goodbye."  
"Thanks, Mi-chan. Until Monday. And until next time, Accel-kun," Yui added a bit louder towards the albino, who only gave a curt nod.

Last Order slowly closed the door, her chest tightening even further. While she had decided to confess to Accelerator as quickly as possible, she had hoped that Yui would stay a little longer, giving her a bit more time to prepare herself.

The brunette gulped and turned her head back.

Accelerator was still on the couch; now that Yui was gone, he had stretched himself out comfortably, and he zipped through the TV program.  
As slowly as she could, Last Order approached him. Accelerator noticed her coming up from the corner of his eye, but he did not say anything until the girl stood by the couch in awkward silence.

"What is it?" He asked and Last Order twitched at his uninterested tone. She couldn't speak, no matter how hard she told herself she had to.

Accelerator raised a quizzical eyebrow at her. "Do you want to sit?" He asked.  
Last Order hesitated; then, she nodded, despite that not being the reason for her nervous fidgeting.  
Accelerator sighed and slightly moved his legs away. He was still spread out on the entire length of the couch, but there was enough space for Last Order to sit in front of his legs.

The girl gulped once more, then sat down hastily as if she'd been bitten by a snake.  
Accelerator noticed her odd behavior and raised his eyebrow once more. Their eyes met and Last Order blushed, averting her gaze quickly.  
The albino sighed again and shut the TV down with a simple click. Then, he pulled his legs out from behind Last Order's back and sat himself up.  
He turned towards the girl who was anxiously darting her eyes from one place to the other, only to avoid his face.

"Oi." Accelerator snapped his fingers in front of her face and Last Order flinched.

"Y-yes? Misaka asks as Misaka wonders why Accelerator would flick his fingers like that," she asked, louder than one normally would.  
"Tch." Accelerator stared her dead in the eye. "What's wrong?"

Last Order looked away with a false smile on her face. "T-There's nothing wrong with Misaka. Why do you ask, Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka -"  
"Don't lie to me," he interrupted her, but his voice wasn't as harsh as it usually was.

_Damn, what's up with her? _He thought worriedly as he examined her restless eyes, her hunched over position and trembling lips. Concern curled up inside his stomach at the sight of Last Order's nervousness.

"It's no use," he explained at her surprised regard. "I can tell you're lying, so hurry up and tell me already."  
Last Order opened her mouth, ready to deny herself, but Accelerator stared so intently at her that she gulped her lie down.  
She lowered her head, looking at her intertwined fingers.  
"M-misaka is..." She started, but her heart raced so fast in her chest that it almost hurt.

_Come on Misaka, you can do it! Misaka tries to cheer herself on as Misaka feels like her heart would burst out of her chest. Your sisters and Onee-sama would want you to do it! Misaka says as Misaka reminds herself of the support she has!  
_She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then she raised her head to look at Accelerator. He was still waiting for her reply, his expression a mixture of worry and upcoming annoyance.

For a moment, Last Order was lost in drowning in his fierce, red eyes. His glare sent shivers down her spine and she had to gulp multiple times.

"M-Misaka has... has something very important to tell you, A-Accelerator," she stumbled over his name, her eyes repeatedly running away from his regard.  
His eyes seemed to say 'You don't say?', but Accelerator remained silent, only giving a nod as to encourage her to continue.

Last Order licked over her bottom lip, biting it strongly before she drew a deep breath.  
"Misaka is... Misaka is..."

_Misaka can't do this! _She thought helplessly and suddenly, her chestnut eyes were captivated by his sanguine ones. Last Order's heart was beating heavily and her stomach curled up with butterflies.  
_Misaka has to, Misaka thinks as Misaka gathers all the courage she has_, the girl decided and her posture straightened a bit.

Accelerator stiffened up with her, the worry nagging at him so massively that he was already considering shaking her response out of her.

_Tell me already, brat! _He thought aggravated.

For a final time, Last Order was tempted looked away; she shook her head and sent her gaze straight back to Accelerator.  
"Misaka... Misaka loves you! Misaka says as Misaka confesses her feelings!"  
Silence arose.

Last Order breathed heavily and could barely hear anything beside her heart beat, and it cost her all of her willpower to keep looking at Accelerator.  
Whatever he had expected from her odd behavior, it was not this.

His eyes were wide in shock and surprise, and it seemed like he had forgotten how to blink.

_W-what!? What does she...? How am I...? _Was all he could think. His heart raced and his hands became sweaty the longer he stood her nervous, but firm regard.

The silence expanded, and the longer Accelerator kept silent, the more did Last Order feel nauseous.  
_S-say something, you idiot! _She thought as she started rubbing her fingers against her leg. _Anything! Misaka begs Accelerator in her head as Misaka fears she cannot stand the silence anymore._

But Accelerator couldn't. He had long buried the memory of Last Order asking if she should ever confess to him and thus had never thought about how he should react in such a case. His throat was dry, his heart was thumping against his chest and his mind failed to put together even one proper sentence.

_'Dense'_, he suddenly recalled Yui's words, finally understanding what the blonde had meant.

_Had it really been that obvious? _Accelerator could not help but wonder, and as if it had been waiting for its cue, his mind showed him memories of Last Order nervously smiling. Blushing out of nowhere. Touching him faintly.  
The esper shivered once more, and the rest of Yui's sentence struck him hard.

_'But then again, she's just as clueless as you.'_

_What about... my feelings? _He thought with a dry throat, and while his inside was nervously active, his outside didn't even move an inch.  
Last Order shivered, and she felt tears burning in her eyes.

"W-Whatever," she suddenly said with forced cheerfulness. "I-It's not like you have to reply. You don't have to do anything, we can just... we can just pretend that never happened." Her chest hurt at her words and she did not know herself how she managed to say them. She hastily lifted herself up, wavering as if she was drunk – and maybe she was, from anxiety.

"I-It's already late, so Misaka will just... will just... go to bed, Misaka says as Misaka..."  
Last Order couldn't finish her sentence. The tears in her eyes were already drenching her black lashes and the girl turned away, ready to rush to her room when suddenly, a hand tightly grabbed her wrist.  
She stopped immediately, turning her head back in surprise and nervousness.

Accelerator had gripped her wrist and he stared at his hand.

_What the heck am I doing!? _He thought, but he couldn't get himself to let go of her. Last Order's confession had set his stomach on fire and he felt dizzy – but in an oddly comfortable way.

"A-Accelerator? Misaka asks as Misaka is confused by Accelerator's behavior and feels really nervous," Last Order managed to ask.  
The albino looked away, and clenched his teeth as he realized his actions.

_Fuck this shit. Didn't I tell you I know nothing of love? Why did you have to come and do all those things for me? Why did it have to be me? Why couldn't you fall in love with someone who suits you more, someone who hasn't killed over ten thousands of your sisters? Why can't you see that someone like me is not worthy of love, even if it's for someone like you_? He thought with shaking hands, and Last Order, who noticed this trembling, came closer to him.

"Accelerator, what's wrong? Misaka asks as Misaka is worried about Accelerator."  
The albino looked up, finding his face only inches away from Last Order's. The girl blushed at the closeness, but she did not walk away. She kept her eyes locked to Accelerator, who could not look away either.

_How could I be so oblivious to her actions? _He wondered, Yui's 'dense' stabbing him at the back of his head.

"Last Order..." He hadn't intended to mumble her name like an idiot, but it had slipped his lips before he could stop himself.

Accelerator looked away from her chestnut eyes, and found himself staring at her lips instead. Desire overcame him to lean forward and kiss the girl that had just confessed to him, the girl that had fallen in love with him despite his actions, and the girl he had fallen for, and exactly for that kindness and that everlasting smile.

Accelerator had not realized he had leaned in on Last Order. He blinked surprised as he did, and wanted to turn away.

_Is showing goodwill to others really that scary?_

Aiho's words resonated inside his mind and Accelerator stopped himself mid-turn.

He thought of all the times Last Order smiled at him. All the times she would stand up for him. How she would ignore his insults and try to push him towards happiness.

_Maybe it wasn't the type of happiness I sought_, Accelerator thought as he remembered the countless times when she forced him to watch or do something incredibly stupid.

_But she did so much for my sake. And all that she asks for is my honesty. For me to tell her what I feel..._

_Just what _do_ I feel? _Accelerator finally asked himself.

_'She's just as clueless as you.'_

He looked back at Last Order and found his heart racing again. Her face was full of worry, tears swimming in her eyes. It was a sad thing to look at and it hurt him to see her so unhappy.  
_I don't want her to cry_, he thought. _I want her to smile. I want to _make _her smile._

_I have once proved that my powers aren't only meant for destruction. I, too, have the power to save, _he remembered the day where he had saved Last Order from the virus. He had risked it all to save a girl he had just met, and that girl had proven to become the most important person to him.

_If I could do that, how hard can it be to show that I can... that I'm worthy..._

He just couldn't think it. Accelerator felt nervous, but he couldn't even think the word that Last Order had managed to say to him so honestly.

Once more, he found himself staring at her. He couldn't accept the thought of him being worthy of love, and thus, his logic demanded him to walk away and forget everything that had happened, just like Last Order had said, and he already stood up to follow this decision.  
But his heart thought otherwise, and it took over his reason.

Not knowing what he did, Accelerator leaned forward, bringing his face so close to Last Order's that he could count her eyelashes. His eyes kept jumping back and forth between her eyes and her lips, and the hand that wasn't holding on to her wrist had suddenly placed itself at the girl's neck.  
Last Order drew a sharp breath as Accelerator pulled her closer to him. Their lips almost touched, she could taste his hot breath, but Accelerator stopped pulling her in. He just held her like that, torn between what he wanted to do and what he thought to be the logical thing to do.

Last Order looked up nervously, her eyes tracing the shape of his pale lips. She waited for a few seconds, but as the albino did nothing, she did not back down in disappointment, as she thought she would do.  
Instead, she gathered her courage and raised herself on her tiptoes, closing that final gap between them, and carefully laid her lips on his.

A wave of heat rushed through both of them. Accelerator stood in complete rigidity at first, and Last Order only faintly touched his lips, but then, he gave in the feeling of happiness that started to overwhelm him and pulled the girl closer.

Last Order gasped surprised, but soon, she leaned forward even more, gently moving her lips alongside his, and she raised her free arm to wrap it around his chest. Accelerator's lips were cool and soft against hers and in their short releases to catch their breaths, she shivered from the heat that escaped his lips.

Neither of them could tell how long they stood and kissed like that. It could have been only a few seconds, but just as well an hour. All Last Order knew when they finally let go of each other was that her chest was overflowing with happiness.  
Accelerator's pale face had gotten a soft shade of red from the heat and while he felt utterly confused, he managed to keep looking into Last Order's eyes.

And all the nervousness and worry and fear Last Order had felt dissipated into thin air.

"Misaka really, really loves you! Misaka says as Misaka feels so happy from her kiss with Accelerator."  
The albino blushed and averted his eyes.

"I... know," he mumbled weakly and Last Order giggled.

"And you love Misaka as well! Misaka says as Misaka knows it without Accelerator saying it," the girl went on and Accelerator grumbled something inaudible.

Another giggle escaped Last Order's lips and she hugged Accelerator even tighter.  
"Then that does mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend right now, right? Misaka asks as Misaka is excited for calling Accelerator 'dear' from now on! You will call Misaka 'honey', won't you? Misaka asks as Misaka proposes a pet name for herself."

That was too much for Accelerator. He tried to push the laughing Last Order away from him, but he couldn't help but smile himself. His heart had been grasped by such a gentle warmth that his attempts at shoving her off were only halfheartedly.

The girl stopped hugging him as tightly and looked up with a gentle smile, and Accelerator frowned, slightly disturbed by the feelings inside of him.

"Like I would say something as stupid as that," he mumbled and Last Order grinned.  
"You can call Misaka whatever you want, Misaka says as Misaka assures her boyfriend that the term won't matter."

Accelerator grumbled, but Last Order ignored it and went on, "Misaka is so excited for spending Christmas Eve with you, and Valentine's Day. Misaka wants to go on a lot of dates with you, and see fireworks with you, and share food with you, and -"  
Accelerator flicked a finger against her head.  
"Sheesh, don't let that get to your head."

Last Order rubbed her forehead and smiled brightly.  
"But! We're boyfriend and girlfriend now after all, aren't we? Misaka asks as Misaka indicates that that's what couples do."

Accelerator looked away in an embarrassed way. He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out one of his typical 'tch's'.  
"That still doesn't mean I'll do all that stupid ass stuff with you," he muttered, but Last Order's smile wouldn't fade.

"Misaka knows that the relationship with Accelerator will be different from an ordinary relationship, but Misaka doesn't even want an ordinary relationship," the girl started explaining happily, taking Accelerator's hand with a happy blush on her cheeks.

"Misaka wants to be with Accelerator and she wants to enjoy the relationship that will be formed by the personality Misaka has grown to love so much! Misaka explains as Misaka wants to show Accelerator that she loves him just the way he is."

Accelerator blushed once again, but then, he only snorted, "Fine. Then you won't mind me watching a _real _horror movie now, will you?"  
Last Order twitched, but then she laughed and shook her head.

"Misaka won't! Misaka will cling on to your arm and bury her head on your chest whenever she's scared, Misaka says as Misaka presents a prognosis of the future."

"That basically means the whole time," Accelerator commented cynically, earning him another laugh from Last Order.  
While he turned to the shelf to pick a fitting movie, another smiled formed on his lips.

_Maybe it's not that scary after all, Yomikawa, _he thought and turned his head back to an eagerly smiling Last Order and for the first time, he openly smiled back at her.

"Ready?" He asked and his smile turned into a grin upon her grimace.

He joined her on the couch and without her asking him, Last Order took his hand and leaned against his arm.

Accelerator smiled to himself.

_I might not be cut out for this_, he thought while the movie started. _But I sure as hell can try._

* * *

**Author's note:**

Oh my goodness - this has been so long in the making and now, I can finally present this to you!

Now, it's no secret that I'm a big Accelerator fan! *goes in a corner to drool in fandom at the very mention of his name*

Well, where was I? Oh yes, so I'm a big Accelerator fan, and when I read this lovely one-shot called 'Misaka Wants Accelerator to Kiss Her!' by MsMacBeth10, I fell in love with the idea of them as a couple! So lovely MsMacBeth, if you're reading this, this is all thanks to your adorable one-shot!

Another big, BIG thanks goes to my amazing beta-reader! Tetsumi Amaya from this site has helped me so much, I can't possibly phrase it - the story wouldn't be even half as good if it wasn't for his continuous support! Heck, some of these chapter were revised eight times to guarantee the highest standards for you guys.  
If you ever need an excellent beta, go to him!

I was so excited writing this story, but never would I have thought that it would be _this _hard to pull off! Accelerator is such a complicated character, and I hope I did him justice, and that he's as in-character as he can be in a love story.

I hope you could enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! I will probably never write a story released as a full work again, though; it takes forever and I just love taking input from you guys while coming up with new chapters.

As always, your reviews are very much appreciated!

Until I publish something (which should be, like, soon), take care!

Ruska


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